Speakers & Faculty

Debbie Atkins, MAC, LPC is Vice President of Growth at Carelon Behavioral Health. A licensed professional counselor with 30 years of front-line and executive experience, she blends deep clinical insight with nationally recognized crisis-system expertise.

At Carelon, Debbie leads business development and strategy, expanding crisis-care solutions in multiple states since she joined Carelon in 2022. Her public-sector tenure includes over seeing a 31-county behavioral health region and directing Georgia’s statewide crisis continuum, where she initiated the launch of the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and built data-driven frameworks that continues to guide service delivery.

Beginning her career in community-based agencies as a clinical director, clinical operations director and state director, Debbie has honed a leadership style that marries clinical acumen, fiscal savvy, and systems thinking. Today she is a sought-after advisor for states and health plans seeking to build compassionate, outcome-focused crisis services that help individuals achieve their best lives

Sarah Grace Britton has a Masters in Special Education and over 15 years of professional experience teaching, developing programs, and advocating for individuals with disabilities. On top of her professional experience working with individuals with disabilities, she also has a lifetime of personal experience, due to both her brothers having Down syndrome. Sarah Grace is currently a Representative of SimplyHome, a company that designs and installs innovative technology solutions that empower individuals to live their own, self-determined lifestyle while addressing the concerns of caregivers. Before joining the SimplyHome team as an employee, Sarah Grace, in partnership with Easterseals PORT Health and Trillium Health Resources, developed a Smart Home using SimplyHome’s technology. As she watched her clients progress towards full independence, she knew that she wanted to help more people understand the benefit of having a tech-first mindset. Ultimately, this mission led to Sarah Grace’s transition to SimplyHome where she continues to spread the word about life-changing enabling tech.  

Kathy Carmody is the CEO of the Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities, Illinois’ largest statewide association focused exclusively on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the community agencies that support them. Institute member organizations provide direct services and support to over 35,000 people with IDD and Autism across Illinois. At the Institute, Kathy is involved in a wide array of policy and practice issues affecting people with I/DD and serves on and leads multiple committees and task forces impacting the I/DD service system. Kathy has worked in the IDD landscape for over 4 decades, starting her career as a DSP in the early 1980s. Kathy’s experience includes leading research, demonstration, and training projects that substantially improved the nature and quality of services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as direct support, clinical, and executive management roles within community agencies. As CEO of the Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities, Kathy is involved in policy issues affecting people with I/DD and serves on a number of statewide committees and Task Forces, including chairing the Life Choices Team 4, charged with designing the person-centered planning process that will be adopted in Illinois. At theKathy is the proud recipient of the ANCOR 2022 Diane McComb State Association Star Award for leadership in transforming the delivery of IDD services and was elected to the ANCOR national board of directors in 2023.

Joe DiMeo is the Behavioral Health Coordinator for the Community Health Choices (CHC) initiative at Community Behavioral Health (CBH). In this role, Joe is responsible for helping to ensure CBH’s provider network delivers quality care treatment to CBH members with physical challenges who are living at home and CBH members residing in nursing facilities.

With more than 35 years of experience in the behavioral health field, Joe has a wealth of knowledge in provider networking, geriatric counseling, and supporting older adults with various challenges, including depression, grief, loss, substance use, gambling problems, anxiety, and complications from Dementia/Alzheimer Disease. As a Behavioral Health Coordinator, Joe created meaningful partnerships with the social service aging community, nursing facilities, home health care agencies, advocates, and Physical Health Managed Care Organizations (MCO).

Joe is a member of the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging Advisory Council and the Older Adult Committee for the PA Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) Mental Health Planning Council. Before joining CBH, Joe was the Director of an Older Adult Intensive Outpatient Program for the Einstein Healthcare Network.

Joe earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Temple University, a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology and Human Services from Chestnut Hill College, and a Gerontology Certification from St. Joseph’s University.

Cindy Ehlers, MS, LCMHC, brings 35 years of industry experience and currently serves as the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer for Trillium Health Resources. She focuses on improving access to healthcare and affordability through innovative solutions. She served as Chief Operations Officer and Chief Clinical Operations Officer for the past 30 years. Cindy has lead several major mergers and consolidations for Trillium during her tenure. Most recently, she was deeply involved in operationalizing the Tailored Plan for Trillium, creating true whole person care for the BH-IDD-TBI population. Cindy is a leader in innovation for behavioral health and IDD and the life-long supports needed by these populations in NC.

Cindy is a champion for the implementation of evidence-based practices. Cindy created Trillium’s Innovative Development department, which focuses on evidence-based approaches and innovative opportunities, to address healthcare needs and health disparities throughout North Carolina. She has worked in both in the public and private sectors. Cindy has developed many programs and services overcoming rural barriers and many health disparities to meeting service needs of the BH-IDD population.

Cindy offers a unique perspective in her role as an Executive in the NC system, as she is both a parent and professional. Cindy has six children- several who have special needs; she was a therapeutic foster parent and is an adoptive parent. Cindy understands the system from the perspective of the MCO, from inside out and as a parent of children with special healthcare needs from the outside in. Her lived experience is unique to find in healthcare at this level in an organization. Trillium is the only health plan in the state with a parent who has been a foster parent, adoptive parent and is the parent of children with IDD on the Executive team of the organization.

Paige Epley-Williams serves as the Innovations CM Manager at Vaya Health. With a total of eighteen years dedicated to working with individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), Paige brings a wealth of knowledge to her role. She holds a Master’s degree in social work and is certified by the National Association of Dual Diagnosis (NADD). Throughout her career, Paige has undertaken various positions, including direct support professional, Qualified Professional, and Care Management support. In her personal time, she enjoys traveling, tasting different foods, and gardening.

Mr. Falsetti is currently the Chief Information Officer for Maryville Academy. A child welfare agency based in Des Plaines, Illinois. His areas of expertise include managing all areas of technology and information services, IT strategic planning, staff development, database development and warehousing, electronic health record (EHR) development and implementation, voice/data infrastructures, helpdesk and user training, business intelligence, and process re-engineering.

Nathan Gerhard serves as the Associate Executive Director of Intellectual Disabilities Services at Keystone Human Services in Pennsylvania. With over two decades of experience in the field of Intellectual Disabilities in both Pennsylvania and Maryland, Nathan is currently concentrating on expanding the use of enabling technology and remote supports throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. Since 2018, he has been spearheading the initiative to incorporate independent living technology into conventional service models beginning with two residential homes in North Central Pennsylvania. By 2024, Keystone expanded its reach to more than 130 locations, aiding over 250 people with independent living technologies embedded within their natural support systems in their service delivery models.

Tom Grant was appointed Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer for Woods Services in March, 2016.  Mr. Grant engages in short and long-range strategic and operational growth planning for the organization. He brings more than 20 years of finance and strategy consulting experience to the organization. Prior to coming to Woods, he ran his own management consulting firm specializing in efficiency initiatives, leadership, strategic planning, turn-arounds, and business development needs of both non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses. In this role, he served as the Chief Financial Officer for Archway Programs in New Jersey.

Before launching his own company, he held similar management consulting positions with a number of business development companies. Mr. Grant has counseled clients on a wide range of topics including process optimization, cash flow management, fund raising, structure, best practices, profitability and pricing arrangements. He also has worked as an emerging markets analyst in Thailand, Hong Kong, and a number of South American countries. Mr. Grant holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business of the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College.

Tonia Hanshaw, Special Projects Manager at Christian Children’s Home of Ohio (CCHO), has been a dedicated employee since June 2007. Initially hired to spearhead the credentialing of the agency’s clinical providers with commercial insurance companies, Tonia transitioned into the role of Assistant Director of Finance. In 2016, she took the lead in the agency’s implementation of Qualifacts’ CareLogic EHR. Recognizing the demands of this critical project, Tonia moved into her current role as Special Projects Manager, allowing her to focus on the ongoing development and optimization of the EHR. Building on her commitment to leveraging technology for enhanced care, Tonia led the 2023 implementation of Qualifacts Client Experience Solutions (formerly OnCall). In 2024, her proactive approach led CCHO to participate in Qualifacts® iQ Beta team, and she continues to drive the adoption of the product across the agency’s provider network.

Neeraj Joshi is the Senior Director of Product Management at Carelon Behavioral Health, where he leads the strategy and development of the Crisis Safety Platform, a technology solution transforming how crisis systems respond to behavioral health needs across the country. With over a decade of experience in healthcare technology, Neeraj has held leadership roles at Experian Health, Cigna, and Express Scripts, driving innovative solutions across behavioral health, prior authorizations, and integrated pharmacy platforms.

His work combines deep user-centered design with scalable system thinking, resulting in measurable improvements to access, equity, and care coordination. Neeraj holds a master’s in healthcare administration from Saint Louis University and is passionate about building teams, products, and partnerships that drive sustainable impact in public health.

Tom Keating, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of Cognitopia, home of the Cognitopia Platform for Self-Determination for individuals with cognitive disabilities, including tools for IEP self-direction, goal management, task analysis, and team coordination. He is also a Courtesy Research Associate in the Computer and Information Sciences Department of the University of Oregon. Tom has been focused for the past 30 years on research and development of self-management and community living applications for individuals with cognitive disabilities including autism, intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injury, and cognitive decline due to aging. He developed the Picture Planner™ visual calendaring system and the ScanDo video modeling application and has been principal investigator on over 25 federally-funded technology development projects with over 10 million dollars in funding. His perspective in all of his work has been strongly influenced by his experience of over 30 years as a caregiver for a brother who experienced autism.

Leslie Lawrence serves as the Culinary Director for Culinary Connections at Easterseals PORT Health, an innovative program designed to make culinary arts more accessible to ALL. With more than 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry—including catering, food service, and event management—Leslie brings a deep well of lived experience that informs every aspect of the program’s design and delivery.

Her passion for food and people shines through in her work, blending warmth, creativity, and structure to create inclusive culinary experiences. Prior to Culinary Connections, Leslie helped lead and design the SensABLE Snacks Food Trucks in North Carolina, a forward-thinking model that employed individuals with disabilities and provided hands-on food service training. The lessons learned from that program laid the groundwork for Culinary Connections, shaping its mission and approach.

Leslie’s commitment to inclusivity and empowerment is the perfect recipe—combining heart, skill, and vision to serve up the transformative power of cooking for everyone, regardless of ability.

Adam Ligas, MD is a medical director at Lucet where the mission — and passion —is to improve the physical, behavioral and social health of those we serve. In his day-to-day work, he leads initiatives to improve mental health care and patient outcomes. With his background as a board-certified general psychiatrist with additional sub-specialty certifications in addiction and forensic psychiatry, he also has extensive experience in managing ADHD. Dr. Ligas is involved in Lucet’s development and adoption of clinical practice guidelines to ensure high treatment strategies for both children and adults. He has worked for Lucet since 2019 and supports the BlueKC team of administrators, providers and members. He did his undergraduate studies at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. He completed his medical education and psychiatry residency training at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ before moving to University of Pittsburgh’s Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic for his subspecialty training. He is excited to share insights on “How to Manage ADHD in the Primary Care Setting.”

Nathan Loggans is the Senior Product Marketing Manager for AI & Innovation at Qualifacts, where he leads go-to-market and product marketing strategy for the company’s flagship platforms: Qualifacts iQ, OneQ, and BI & Data. His expertise spans go-to-market strategy, product positioning, lifecycle marketing, and customer engagement across healthcare and SaaS. 

With more than a decade of experience in strategic marketing and digital transformation, Nathan has led teams across organizations ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 10 enterprises. Prior to joining Qualifacts, he served as Head of Marketing at PrimeAI, where he built the marketing function from the ground up and scaled annual recurring revenue (ARR) to more than $5M. 

Nathan earned his Bachelor of Arts from Maranatha Baptist University and his MBA from Villanova University, with concentrations in Strategic Management, Marketing, Analytics, and Management Information Systems. He is recognized for aligning cross-functional teams, shaping executive strategy, and driving measurable growth outcomes. Outside of work, Nathan is a passionate Green Bay Packers fan, an avid audiobook listener, and enjoys playing guitar. 

Jessica McCarthy is a seasoned marketing and communications leader with over 15 years of cross-sector experience spanning agency, corporate, and nonprofit environments. With a strong foundation in brand storytelling and a focus on customer engagement, she has built a career developing brands that resonate, connect, and deliver results.

Much of Jessica’s work has been concentrated in the healthcare space— from optometry and biotechnology to chronic pain and, most recently, mental health. In her current role as Director of Marketing Operations at Centerstone, she is passionate about driving efficiency, streamlining processes, and demonstrating that nonprofits with limited budgets can still create powerful, compelling work.

Laura is a co-founder and CEO of GrandCare Systems, a touchscreen and sensor-based technology platform designed to improve independence and enhance remote supports for individuals living with disabilities and older adults. She has over 20 years of experience in the remote monitoring and connected health industry. In 2015, she founded LMC, a boutique marketing and consulting agency with a technology and senior housing niche. Laura has been featured in Forbes magazine for social media, was a 2012 “Top 40 under 40”, Top 100 Women in M2M in Connected World, and a recipient of the ‘Flame Award for Innovation and Leadership’ in 2011. She was a 2020 Rotarian of the Year, WI Innovation Awards finalist, and a 2022 Women in Consumer Technology Legacy recipient. She frequently volunteers with the Carlsbad Rotary and Cal State San Marcos business program. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two boys, and three dogs.

Lisa Palko, PharmD most recently serves as the Executive Director at the Society for Digital Mental Health and Medical Advisor for Digital Health Strategy at HealthSystemInnovations. Previously, Dr. Palko was the Vice President of Scientific Medical Affairs at AKILI, Inc.

Throughout her extensive career, Dr. Palko worked with various biotech/pharmaceutical companies formulating and executing strategies for medical affairs, and market access teams.  With more than two decades working in mental digital health/medicine organizations, she has been invited to advise on several pre-market applications and was instrumental in the development of a military population health tool. She was asked to participate in several speaking engagements demonstrating the use of technology to support the opioid crisis and is a trainer for naloxone administration.  Prior to entering industry, she was a geropsychiatric research administrator/clinician and was the Senior Director, Pharmacy, Research and Outcomes at UPMC Health Plan.

Dr. Palko received her Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy with a specialization in psychiatry and is a passionate advocate for mental health and technology-driven solutions.

Jennifer Schugam is the Director of Behavioral Health at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. In this role, she is responsible for guiding the strategic vision, planning, and execution of behavioral health programs aimed at improving healthcare equity, affordability, quality, and accessibility for Carefirst members across Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia. With over 22 years of experience in community psychiatric services and organizational leadership, Jennifer is a dedicated advocate for mental health accessibility and quality working to further build CareFirst’s behavioral health offerings through innovative care solutions, provider partnerships, and data-driven strategies.

Jennifer’s expertise in behavioral health includes senior leadership roles in both clinical and operational settings. Before joining CareFirst, she served as the Executive Director of Feeding the People, a non-profit organization she founded that provided home-delivered meals, in-home education, and support for low-income diabetics in Baltimore. Throughout her career, Jennifer has focused on delivering care to diverse populations, including vulnerable and underserved communities in Baltimore as a mobile treatment psychiatric therapist, supporting individuals with severe, chronic mental illnesses in state psychiatric facilities, mental health courts, and home settings. At CareFirst, Jennifer drives initiatives to integrate mental health services into the company’s broader healthcare offerings, ensuring that members have access to holistic, person-centered care. Her initiatives include expanding access to preventive care and developing programs that cater to various demographics, leveraging digital tools and data analytics to improve and better connect members to care, tracking emerging behavioral health trends, and assessing program effectiveness.

Jennifer holds a Master of Social Work in Clinical Practice with Children and Families from the University of Maryland, School of Social Work, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She is a Clinical Supervisor for the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners and is a passionate advocate for destigmatizing mental health issues. She lives in Baltimore City with her human and dog children.

Kim serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Mainstay Life Services, a nonprofit organization supporting people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities throughout Western Pennsylvania.  Kim has over three decades of leadership experience in the nonprofit and human service sectors.  Kim is known for her visionary leadership, strategic innovation, and deep commitment to advocacy and person-centered support.

Under Kim’s leadership Mainstay has expanded its reach, strengthened its use of data and technology to improve outcomes, and has launched forward thinking initiatives focused on inclusion, independence and quality of life.  Her approach centers on advocating for equity in disability services and empowering individuals and families through tailored supports.

Kim holds a master’s degree in psychology and is a licensed professional counselor and a certified alcohol and drug counselor.

Michael Allen brings over 30 years of experience in the non-profit behavioral healthcare industry to the OPEN MINDS team. He currently serves as an Executive Vice President in our consulting practice, where he provides executive oversight and leadership to provider and payer client engagements for OPEN MINDS.

Mr. Allen was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of SummitStone Health Partners, the largest non-profit behavioral health service provider in Larimer County, CO. In this role Mr. Allen was responsible for the planning deployment, communication and accomplishment of SummitStone Health Partners’ overarching corporate strategy. He managed a budget of $80Million and was responsible for more than 750 full time employees and over 12,000 clients annually.

Prior to SummitStone Health Partners, Mr. Allen served as the Vice President of Managed Care & Operations at AspenPointe (now Diversus Health). At AspenPointe he developed and managed a system of accountability for monitoring and evaluating provider performance in seven Colorado counties. He was also responsible for the quality management oversight of all business lines, as well as managing a substance abuse treatment contract with the Colorado Division of Behavioral Health and a child welfare services agreement with El Paso County Department of Human Services.
Previously, Mr. Allen was the Director of Clinical Care for Connect Care, (rebranded as AspenPointe in 2010). In this position Mr. Allen provided supervision to the clinical staff, as well as developing clinical guidelines and services. He was also the project director for the 4th Judicial District Family Reunification Grant and he oversaw care coordination and voucher management functions for Colorado Access to Recovery Grant.

Before Connect Care, Mr. Allen was the Director of Child Welfare Services for Signal Behavioral Health Network, a non-profit that has been managing and expanding substance use prevention, treatment and recovery services in northeast Colorado for over 25 years. Mr. Allen managed a network of Substance Use Disorder treatment providers, programs and services across 35 Colorado counties.

Mr. Allen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Design/Psychology from Brigham Young University, a Masters in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University, and a Masters in Business Administration from Colorado State University. He is a Licensed Social Worker and a Certified Addictions Specialist in Colorado.

Kimberly Bond, MS, LMFT, brings over thirty years of experience providing behavioral health treatment in the public and community settings to the OPEN MINDS team. She currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Business Development. In this role, Ms. Bond focuses on growing the OPEN MINDS client portfolio across all nine verticals of OPEN MINDS business.

Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Ms. Bond served concurrently as a Program Coordinator III and Clinical Manager of Adult Services and a Program Coordinator II and Clinical Manager of Recovery Services for the Ozark Guidance Center. In these roles, Ms. Bond was responsible for the administrative and clinical oversight of the adult outpatient and adult intensive mental health services on the Springdale Campus as well as the adult recovery/co-occurring services, including domestic violence and anger management treatment.

Prior to joining the Ozark Guidance Center, Ms. Bond served as the Executive Vice President of Center Point, Inc, a large substance abuse provider agency in California. In this role, Ms. Bond was responsible for the clinical and administrative supervision of all community-based programs as well as the women and children residential programs. In addition, Ms. Bond also managed budgets, interacted with funding agencies, and built positive relationships with all stakeholders. Ms. Bond was also in charge of proposal and grant writing, staff management, and training, facilities’ licensing and certifications renewals.  Additionally, she prepared and submitted monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports to various funders.

Previously, Ms. Bond served as the President and CEO of Mental Health Systems, Inc. Ms. Bond was very instrumental in growing the agency from $12M in annual revenue to over $100M and becoming one of the largest providers of behavioral health services in California. In this role, Bond was responsible for the strategic, clinical, financial, and administrative health of the agency, including direct supervision of Senior Executive Staff. In addition, Bond ensured contract compliance of the agency’s 125 different contracts across federal and state agencies and eight counties.

Ms. Bond received her bachelor’s degree in psychology, with honors, and her master’s degree in counseling education from San Diego State University. She is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in both California and Arkansas.

Dee DeWitt has extensive experience as a consultant and corporate leader in the healthcare field. Mr. DeWitt brings over 28 years of experience in healthcare finance and operations, M&A, use of technology, strategic planning, and change management in healthcare organizations to OPEN MINDS as a Senior Associate.

Previously, Mr. DeWitt was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Momentum for Health, a CARF-accredited non-profit behavioral health organization providing services to individuals with a diagnosed serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance abuse disorder, in San Jose, California. During his tenure, Mr. DeWitt increased outpatient productivity by 25% and contributed to growing revenues from $55 million to a projected $71+ million for the fiscal year of 2023. Mr. DeWitt also oversaw Momentum ‘s pilot with Santa Clara County’s transition to Netsmart Provider Connect and led a successful grant award and implementation of a multi-year paid intern program in partnership with Santa Clara University, San Jose University, and Palo Alto University.

Mr. DeWitt was also the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Veridian Financial Group, a strategic consulting firm specializing in performing long-term, onsite C-level and Director roles, evaluating and implementing financial strategies, strategic operational planning, and development strategies for companies that are poised for significant growth, change, or require turnaround attention, in San Jose, California. During his time at Veridian Financial Group, Mr. DeWitt focused primarily on healthcare, finance, technology, and private equity and coordinated licensing, compliance, and external audits for 42 state licenses, including managed care organizations, managed care plans, Medicare, Medicaid, and service provider organizations.

In addition, Mr. DeWitt served as Chief Financial Officer and a Consultant in Strategic Planning and Finance for Home Recovery – Home Aid, Inc., a private equity-backed, for-profit company that provides personal care and skilled care in 35 locations and in-home care throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. During his time there, Mr. DeWitt was a member of the company’s executive management team, audit team, and License and Compliance team. Mr. DeWitt also served as Chief Financial Officer of Professional Healthcare Resources, Inc., a for-profit holding company comprised of five home health companies, four hospice companies, and two private duty/personal care companies. Mr. DeWitt has also been the Chief Financial and Technology Officer for The Filson, a nationally renowned non-profit archive and research institute, and Director of Strategic Development for Signature Healthcare, LLC, a national private equity-backed for-profit, long-term care company operating over 180 facilities, with 18,000 employees, and over $1 billion in revenues.

Mr. DeWitt also held the positions of Deputy Director of Behavioral Health at the County of Ventura, CA Behavioral Health Services Department, and Director of Finance and Management Services of the Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services (SEABHS), a joint commissioned accredited non-profit.

Mr. DeWitt graduated from the University of Louisville, Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and a Master’s in Political Science with a concentration in Economics and Public Policy.

Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, EdM, Senior Associate, has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. In this tenure as senior associate with OPEN MINDS since 1998, he has served as lead of dozens of client initiatives, served as editor of OPEN MINDS publications, and is the author of many groundbreaking articles and presentations.

Mr. Naughton-Travers brings to OPEN MINDS a broad range of experiences in private and public sector delivery of behavioral health and social services. He started his career as a behavioral health clinician, working in both child welfare and community mental health clinic settings. Subsequently, Mr. Naughton-Travers held a senior business operations management position for a psychiatric hospital system and its community mental health clinics.  Later, he was vice president of a firm specializing in information systems and billing and receivables management for community-based mental health programs.

Since joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Naughton-Travers has developed business solutions for provider and professional organizations, state and county government, technology companies, and venture capital firms. His primary areas of expertise include strategic planning and metrics-based management, electronic health record (EHR) and technology selection and implementation, operations improvement, and corporate compliance. For the past decade, over half his consulting practice has focused on aiding organizations in technology selection and implementation, including all aspects of strategic technology planning, functional specifications development, request for proposal development, vendor selection, and contracting.

He has written numerous articles, including “Winning the Human Resource Wars: Tried, True and New Strategies for Behavioral Health and Social Service Organizations,” “Five Pillars of Management Competency,” “Data Driven Decision Making: Moving to an Organizational Measurement Culture,” “Survival of the Smartest: What is Your Organization’s Information Literacy IQ?,” and “Strategic Human Resource Management: Aligning Compensation with Employee Performance and Organizational Strategy.” Mr. Naughton-Travers is also a nationally recognized speaker, having conducted hundreds of executive and professional executive training events around the nation.

Mr. Naughton-Travers received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and his Masters’ of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.

Monica E. Oss, M.S. is the founder of OPEN MINDS and serves as its chief executive officer, executive editor of its publications and websites, and executive lead of its consulting engagements. For the past three decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice.  She is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field – and its focus on the verticals of the field serving consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs.

Ms. Oss has extensive experience in developing and implementing growth strategies for a wide array of organizations in the field. She has expertise in industry trend analysis, reimbursement and rate setting, and creating actionable plans for market success. In her role, she has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, and health plans, service provider organizations, technology vendors, neurotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations, and investment banking firms – with a focus on the implications of financing changes on delivery system design.

Prior to founding OPEN MINDS, Ms. Oss served as an executive with a nationally managed behavioral health organization, responsible for market development, actuarial analysis, and capitation-based rate setting. She also held a position as vice president of the U.S. risk management and underwriting division of an international insurance company.

Ms. Oss has been the keynote speaker at the conferences of dozens of national associations and has been published in a wide range of professional journals and trade publications. She has provided Congressional and state legislative testimony on issues as diverse as the financial impact of parity and payer medication access policies.

Ms. Oss has led a range of industry research and consultation initiatives, serving as principal investigator on research projects that include the examination of national managed care enrollment and service patterns, development of provider rate structures for government entities, creation of return-on-investment models for technology investments; design of performance-based compensation models within public and private health plans; and analysis of the economic impact of changes in benefit design, adoption of evidence-based practices, and new technologies.

Benjamin T. Smith brings a strong background in database management and technology solution experience to the OPEN MINDS team. With over 15 years of database and software experience, he has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), Azure, Google Suite/Analytics/Lookup, Word Press, Squarespace, Winautomation, and Woopra. In addition, Mr. Smith has a high proficiency in MS Office applications, including MS Access, and VBA coding.  In his current role as Executive Vice President, Technology, Mr. Smith uses his skills to manage the OPEN MINDS SQL Server Database, create dashboards and benchmark surveys, and develops reports for the OPEN MINDS online communities.

Previously, Mr. Smith was the Director of Club Sports for the University of Lynchburg Athletics Department where he automated many functions in the department including data collection, registration, payments, and rosters. He also represented the Athletic Department on the University’s Technology Implementation committee.

Prior to his work at the University of Lynchburg, Mr. Smith was the Assistant Director, Intramural Sports and Technology Liaison at the Virginia Tech Recreational Sports Department in Blacksburg, VA. During his tenure, Mr. Smith implemented several technology solutions for the department including Office365 and SharePoint, and transitioned the department to Fusion for registrations. Mr. Smith also worked with other members of the technology team to design and develop an in-house tracking program and to sync the MySQL backend database with the MS Access database.

Additionally, Mr. Smith has worked as a computer and technology consultant engaging in projects such as developing software using C++ and MS Access, training staff on implementation and Microsoft products, and assisting call centers with desktop software support.

Mr. Smith earned both his Master of Business Administration degree, with a concentration in Organizational Leadership, and his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Information Technology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia.