Lori Schmidt

Lori Schmidt has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare and nonprofit industry with an emphasis on mental health and chemical dependency for underserved populations. Ms. Schmidt is currently the Director of Behavioral Health Services at HealthPartners. In this role, she plans, implements and evaluates innovative and improved clinical care models, workflows, and operations across the organization. Prior to her current role, Ms. Schmidt was the Executive Director at Central Minnesota Mental Health Center where she led a multi-site behavioral healthcare delivery system with over 300 employees and a $20 million annual budget. While serving as the Executive Director, she was responsible for developing and executing a strategic plan that resulted in a 33% growth in the annual budget. Initiatives implemented as result of the executed strategic plan included adding a pharmacy for integrative care, developing telepsychiatry services, and implementing a new electronic health record system. As a result, Ms. Schmidt was awarded the 2014 Minnesota DHS Commissioner Circle of Excellence Award for innovative program development and implementation. Previously, Ms. Schmidt served as the Supervisor of Social Services for Wright County based in Buffalo, Minnesota, where she managed mental health services for the residents of Wright County. As part of her role, she coordinated with public health and mental health services across the county; represented organization on various county and community committees, task forces, and planning groups including the Mental Health Advisory Council Local Advisory Council (LAC) and in implementing the county’s SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) grant. While serving in this role she was awarded the Johnson & Johnson Dartmouth Award for Individual Placement and Support. Ms. Schmidt also worked for 13 years as a Senior Social Worker for Hennepin County in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she worked in various areas of the organization providing legal services, case management, adult services and child crisis interventions. While working in adult services, Ms. Schmidt held an impressive 90% success rate representing clients for Social Security benefits before the administrative law judge and collecting over $1 million for Hennepin County in 1995. Ms. Schmidt received her Juris Doctorate from William Mitchell College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Adolphus College. Additionally, she has been a member of the Minnesota State Bar since 2001.