Welcome to our 48 th year annual conference and our 1 st virtual conference. We are excited and grateful that you were able to join us. This year’s conference theme is “Reset, Reimagine and Reshape” and as our theme indicates, we believe the disruption to the community behavioral health system brought on by the coronavirus pandemic presents “Infinite Possibilities and Opportunities” to reshape the Illinois community behavioral healthcare system.
During our conference, we will showcase ways that our industry, agencies, and individuals are reimagining and reshaping clinical services, their organizations, and our industry.
We have strived to put together a program with the most relevant topics and knowledgeable presenters that will offer you an opportunity to learn and apply the most current knowledge, technology, resources, research, and trends to your daily jobs. We have also planned some activities that are aimed to lighten your load.
We especially ask that you take the time to visit the exhibitor booths who are only a click away. You will also have the opportunity to virtually connect with your colleagues from various regions of the state.
Again, I welcome you and thank you for joining us.
Marvin Lindsey, M.S.W., C.A.D.C.
Chief Executive Officer
Welcome and Remarks by Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton
Keynote: “Reset- Reimagine- Reshape”
Exhibitor Break
Breakout Session
Innovative Workforce Strategies During the COVID-19Breakout Session
Leading in Times of Uncertainty and Social UnrestBreakout Session
How to Successfully Engage Families Through TelehealthBreakout Session
Rethinking Your Agency's Internal Billing SystemExhibitor Break
Adjourn Day 1
Annual Meeting and Welcome
Honoring Outgoing Board Members and Message From Incoming Board President
Plenary Session
The State’s Response to Unprecedented TimesExhibitor Break
Exhibitor Break
Adjourn
Arrowleaf
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
Egyptian Health Department
Stepping Stones of Rockford
Centerstone
Association Central, Inc.
CBHA
CBHA
CBHA
CBHA
CBHA
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Heather MacArthur, author of, "Low Man on the Totem Pole," and Executive Coach & Consultant at The Executive Advisory, has built her expertise through hard fought career experiences of her own, as well as having the honor of partnering closely with people on their own journey from all walks of life, levels of success and points of career change. She’s worked as a leader while serving in the military to leading learning organizations in several Fortune 500 companies. Her passion is helping individuals remove the barriers to unleashing their own greatness and helping organizations proactively create the future that aligns with their visions and missions.
Heather will be sharing insights and tips on how we can tap into our natural capacity for imagination and creativity. She will review how to combine our ability to ‘get things done’ with, our often-forgotten skill, to create what doesn’t yet exist. At a time where we are reminded just how uncertain life can be, she will discuss how to leverage uncertainty as a source of opportunity and freedom to evolve and build the future we want to see
PhD, Executive Director of the Telebehavioral Health Institute
What may have been a very small part of practice prior to COVID-19, telehealth grew literally overnight in some cases to 90% of service delivery. Providers quickly adapted to ensure services were maintained to their clients in these stressful times. There is no turning back- telehealth is our present and future. There however, have been some services that have been more challenging to provide via telehealth. During this session, you will hear from Marlene Maheu, PhD, an international expert, who will provide information on how to meet these challenges creatively to successfully use telehealth to provide mental health services to children and their families.
Founder, President/CEO, The Link & Option Center, Inc
Ed.D., LCPC, President and CEO, Grand Prairie Services
MBA, Regional Chief Executive Officer, Centerstone
Vice President, Association House of Chicago
As behavioral health leaders around the nation grapple with how to safely operate their agencies amid the coronavirus pandemic, ongoing issues of racial injustice sweeping the nation are presenting leaders with another challenging dynamic. Quickly changing situations are affecting leaders in myriad ways—and could involve questions of employee safety, as well as ignite workplace conflict, impact engagement and exacerbate already record levels of stress and anxiety. For some leaders, the personal and professional are colliding unlike many of them have ever experienced before.
During this session, behavioral health leaders will discuss how they are addressing these challenges – from ensuring uninterrupted, safe and effective service delivery, leading a remote or hybrid workforce, to rebuilding agency culture, innovating in a time of uncertainty, and having difficult conversations about racism, bias, and inequity – during this time of crisis.
PhD, CCHP, Principal, Health Management Associates
Principal, Health Management Associates
During this presentation, HMA will demonstrate how leading behavioral health providers are using new regulatory flexibilities, emerging staffing models, and new delivery formats to develop and implement organizational changes and innovations that sustain and strengthen the behavioral health workforce.
Behavioral Health Policy Associate -Managed Care Specialist, Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of IL (CBHA)
Senior Billing Analyst, Children's Home Association of Illinois
Associate Director of Information Systems & Billing, Heartland Alliance Health
MPH, MBA, Assistant Director of Billing and Revenue at DuPage County Health Department
Strong internal billing systems are critical for agencies to facilitate and maximize their access to revenue. However, the many barriers and complexities that agencies face creates challenges in collecting that revenue. Many of these challenges include external factors that are beyond agencies' control, such as navigating multiple HealthChoice Plans with different requirements, policies, and processes.
In this session, CBHA will bring together a panel of local behavioral healthcare billing specialists who will talk about how agencies can overcome these challenges. They will share their experiences, best-practices, tips and tricks they've implemented to streamline their agencies’ internal billing processes and maximize revenue.
Acting Medicaid Administrator, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services
Director of the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR)
Director, Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health
Bureau Chief of Behavioral Health, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services
The COVID-19 pandemic and recent social unrest have presented an opportunity for state agencies to “Reset, Reimagine and Reshape” their strategic plans and in particular, how community behavioral health is delivered in Illinois. Please join us as we hear from the Directors of Healthcare and Family Services, Division of Mental Health and Division of Substance Use Recovery and Prevention as they discuss their future plans for behavioral health and their agencies.
Executive Director, Family Service Association of Greater Elgin
President, Juvenile Justice Initiative
Director of Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative, Office of Illinois Lieutenant Governor
Nationally, individuals in mental health crisis are more likely to encounter law enforcement than specialized mental health assistance. Leaders across Illinois and the nation are reimagining ways to provide the right intervention at the right time by the right person. Local innovation based on the needs of individual communities have resulted in a variety of law enforcement-mental health collaboration programs.
In this session, you will hear from a community mental health agency that successfully implemented a law enforcement-mental health collaboration program to safely deescalate and effectively respond to calls for service involving people with mental health disorders. You will also learn about local and state efforts to reform and transform Illinois’ criminal justice system for adults and children.
CEO, Illinois Health Practice Alliance,
CFO, Illinois Health Practice Alliance
Chief Clinical Officer, Illinois Health Practice Alliance
The state’s Integrated Health Home (IHH) program will continue reshaping our behavioral health system, moving it towards more integrated systems of care. How can providers be successful in this new environment? Join Illinois Health Practice Alliance (IHPA) leadership as they discuss the IHPA’s model for IHH and the systems put in place to promote provider success.
President and CEO
Consultant
The Nolan Group
President and CEO
Consulting
The response of federal and state regulators and the behavioral health system to COVID-19 has been rapid and remarkable. There have been significant changes made to preserve services that have been perceived as exceedingly important. Will these changes be carried forward? Will there be a greater appreciation of the importance of behavioral health services? Will changes in regulations—especially regarding telehealth and the assurance of financial viability—be carried forward or will government revert back to old systems of care? What are the challenges still to be met? And what will happen after the pandemic, hopefully, ends and we move on to a new normal?
Our panel of experts will address these and other questions as well as the political and policy implications of the 2020 election on the behavioral health system in Illinois and across the U.S.
Heather MacArthur, author of, "Low Man on the Totem Pole," and Executive Coach & Consultant at The Executive Advisory, has built her expertise through hard fought career experiences of her own, as well as having the honor of partnering closely with people on their own journey from all walks of life, levels of success and points of career change. She’s worked as a leader while serving in the military to leading learning organizations in several Fortune 500 companies. Her passion is helping individuals remove the barriers to unleashing their own greatness and helping organizations proactively create the future that aligns with their visions and missions.
Heather will be sharing insights and tips on how we can tap into our natural capacity for imagination and creativity. She will review how to combine our ability to ‘get things done’ with, our often-forgotten skill, to create what doesn’t yet exist. At a time where we are reminded just how uncertain life can be, she will discuss how to leverage uncertainty as a source of opportunity and freedom to evolve and build the future we want to see.
Founder, President/CEO, The Link & Option Center, Inc.
Twin D. Green is an advocate for civic and social justice on behalf of children and families. Ms. Green is the Founder, President and CEO of The Link & Option Center, Inc., and an accredited organization by The Joint Commission. The Link & Option Center, Inc. was a personal experience of Ms. Green whose teenage son struggled to set himself apart from negative forces in the community. The passion she held took on the challenge, which evidenced compassion to safeguard the rites to passage for her son and other youth in the South Suburban Cook County Region. This passion held by Ms. Green for the past 26-years undergirds the Mission of The Link & Option Center, Inc. that is to empower people with quality prevention and intervention services by coordinating and integrating services among systems of care and community resources. Ms. Green earned her Master of Arts Degree in Inner City Studies Education, while attending Northeastern Illinois University. Ms. Green serves on a number of significant boards and coalitions, all designed to safeguard the lives of youth, adults and families.
Ms. Green is also affiliated with over 20 professional organizations.
Vice President, Association House of Chicago
Julie Rodriguez is our Vice President, and has served at Association House since 1997 when she began as a Masters level intern in the counseling program. Since then, she has served predominantly in a managerial capacity. As Vice President, she is accountable to the President for the full cycle of design, development, delivery and improvement of programs. Julie implements and leads a continuous quality improvement process through the program and service areas, focusing on systems/process improvement. She develops and implements new services and provides leadership and supervision to the program directors. In her most previous role as the Behavioral Health Director, Julie provided clinical oversight for staff throughout the implementation process for 18 fully-accredited programs ranging from mental health, substance abuse, and specialized programs for populations with developmental disabilities.
Association House’s dedication to community, appreciation for family and the overall atmosphere of welcoming and openness shown to participants are what drive Julie’s commitment to the organization. She also credits Association House’s success to the collaborative spirit among staff and participants alike. A proud mother of daughter Jayla and a pet cat Roxie, Julie has lived in multiple neighborhoods throughout Chicago’s Northside. Her baseball allegiances lie with the Chicago Cubs, although her go-to sport is volleyball.
Julie currently serves on the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois’ Board of Directors representing the Northeast District. She is a state-licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) and received her Bachelors from the University of Illinois in Champaign, and her Masters of Science in Applied Family & Child Studies from Northern Illinois University.
MBA, Regional Chief Executive Officer, Centerstone
John Markley serves as Regional CEO in Illinois, serving residents in eastern and southern Illinois through more than 30 locations that provide treatment, support and educational programs and services to individuals who have mental health and addiction disorders and specialized services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Centerstone employs over 525 staff in Illinois and serves more than 17,000 individuals annually.
Under Markley’s leadership, Illinois’ operations have expanded from serving residents in southern Illinois to include western Illinois following a 2015 merger with Wellspring Resources (now Centerstone) in Alton.
He has served on several national and statewide boards and is currently a member of several state and national associations.
Markley began his behavioral health career in 1985 as a staff accountant, was promoted to Director of Financial Services, and became CEO in 2005. He received bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and accounting from Murray State University in Kentucky, and his MBA from Century University in New Mexico.
As CEO, Markley is responsible for the leadership and operational oversight of Centerstone’s clinical divisions, specialized services and strategic business development and fiscal accountability in Illinois.
Ed.D., LCPC, President and CEO, Grand Prairie Services
Sharronne Ward is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Grand Prairie Services. She has over 33 years of experience in the provision of Community Health Services. Sharronne Ward received a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University in Administration of Justice, a Master of Science degree in Management from DePaul University, a Master of Arts degree in Religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Doctorate of Education degree in Counseling. Sharronne is licensed as a Clinical Professional Counselor by the State of Illinois and is a licensed and ordained Minister.
Associate Director of Information Systems & Billing, Heartland Alliance Health
As an Associate Director of Information Systems and Billing, Alejandro Santiago leads in overseeing the revenue cycle management of his agency’s Community Mental Health Services and SUPR Services for Heartland Alliance Health (Formerly Heartland Health Outreach). Part of this responsibility includes assuring high rate of clean claim rate be transmitted for billing, tracking results of claims which can include denial management, reset of claims and proper reimbursement of claims from various payers.
In addition, he leads in assuring all the components of revenue cycle management (prior-authorizations, claims reset, system management for CMHC Services) are in sync for their billing of the variety of services while providing service/revenue data reporting for all CMHC/SUPR programs within the agency.
MPH, MBA, Assistant Director of Billing and Revenue at DuPage County Health Department
Natalie Basgall currently serves as the Assistant Director of Billing and Revenue at DuPage County Health Department. Natalie has worked in the healthcare field for over ten years. Her previous roles included work in Quality and Compliance and Payer Contracting. Natalie received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Science from Marquette University and a Masters’ degrees in Public Health and Business Administration from Benedictine University. Natalie is passionate in achieving quality care for clients while exploring ways to contain administrative waste. During her time with the health department, Natalie has worked directly with the MCOs and HFS to positively resolve revenue cycle issues for DuPage County. She regularly participates in workgroups across organizations on process and communication improvements between payers and providers.
Acting Medicaid Administrator, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services
Kelly Cunningham began her career at the Illinois Department of Human Services in 1993. Over the last 27 years, Kelly has worked in a variety of leadership roles in state government - Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, Illinois Department of Aging, Illinois Department of Public Health, and Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services where she currently serves as the Acting Medicaid Administrator.
She received her bachelor’s degree from Blackburn College and her master’s degree from University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.
Director of the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR)
David T. Jones joined IDHS as Director of the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) on October 19th.
David T. Jones has served as the Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS) for the City of Philadelphia, a city with more than 1.5 million residents, since 2017. Prior to that, he was Deputy Commissioner at DBHIDS, beginning in 2013. Prior to his time in Philadelphia, Jones was Chief of Behavioral Health and Crisis Services for the Montgomery County (Md.) Department of Health and Human Services. There, he administered a wide range of diverse programs addressing child and adult mental health, substance use disorder, crisis centers, victim’s assistance and consumer services. As a behavioral health administrator for more than 25 years, David has developed in-depth knowledge of state and federal regulations, including Medicaid managed care and mental health rehabilitation standards. He has managed urban and suburban public behavioral health systems challenged to increase access to care and expand the range of services available to residents with behavioral health care needs.
Additionally, he has national experience developing multidisciplinary coalitions to affect sustainable community level change. David earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Science in Community School/Clinical Child Psychology from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
Director, Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health
David Albert started January 1, 2020 as Director of the Division of Mental Health. Since June 2019, Dr. Albert served as Deputy Director for Clinical Operations in the division.
From 2013-2019, David was Director of the Student Counseling Service at the University of Chicago, and before that spent six years as Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Hartford. During that time, he also founded the Child and Adolescent Ambulatory Psychiatry Clinic at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
He spent time working as a Consulting Psychologist with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship providing trauma-focused interventions to children, adolescents, and families affected by exposure to traumatic stress.
David earned a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University Medical School and a B.A. in Russian Studies from Amherst College. He is a licensed psychologist with extensive teaching, research, training and publication credits to his name.
Bureau Chief of Behavioral Health, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services
Ms. Herman is responsible for the oversight of existing programs such as Individual Care Grants, Screening Assessment and Support Services, and Specialized Family Support Services and the development of new behavioral health programs related to the Health and Human Services Transformation. Ms. Herman has over 20 years of experience in the administration of Medicaid‐funded behavioral health services and holds a Master’s of Science in Clinical Psychology from Illinois State University where she researched the impact of internal and external stressors on foster parent functioning.
President, Juvenile Justice Initiative
Elizabeth “Betsy” Clarke, J.D., is the founder and president of the Juvenile Justice Initiative (JJI), a non-profit civil advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring human rights for all children and young adults in conflict with the law. JJI has raised the age of juvenile court from 17 to 18, ended automatic adult prosecution for 15 year olds, required lawyers during interrogation for children under the age of 15, ended detention of children under the age of 13 in Cook County, reduced incarceration by two-thirds and closed three juvenile prisons
In addition to JJI, Clarke co-founded the Midwest Juvenile Defender Center, and the North American Juvenile Justice Network, and was a founding member of the National Juvenile Justice Network. She is a frequent speaker and author, including Disrupting Injustice: Fifty Years Post Miranda and Gault: A Call to Action to Re-Examine the Rights of Children in Conflict with the Law, 62 S.D.L.Rev. 608 (Issue 3, 2017).
Prior to the Juvenile Justice Initiative, Clarke served as attorney and policy advocate in both the Office of the Cook County Public Defender and the Office of the State Appellate Defender.
Director of Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative (JEO), Office of Illinois Lieutenant Governor
Quinn Rallins was appointed the Director of the Illinois Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative (JEO) in 2019. In this role, he focuses on coordinating efforts among multiple stakeholder groups in their efforts to reform and transform Illinois’ criminal justice system. Before joining the Office of the Illinois Lieutenant Governor, Quinn was Program Director for the Illinois Justice Project, a nonprofit advocating for criminal justice reforms.
Quinn serves on a number of boards, including the Executive Committee of the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. He received his JD from The Northeastern University School of Law. He also holds a BA from Morehouse College in international studies and economics and an M.Sc. in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford.
President and CEO
Patrick Phelan has served as the President and CEO of Sinnissippi Centers, Inc. in Dixon Illinois since 2013. Sinnissippi Centers provides a broad array of mental health, substance abuse, prevention and early intervention programs across Carroll, Lee, Ogle and Whiteside Counties in Illinois. Prior to coming to Sinnissippi Centers, Patrick spent the previous 20 years serving in various roles in community behavioral health and child welfare, including over 14 years at the Children’s Home Association of Illinois. Patrick holds a Bachelors in Psychology and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Illinois State University, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Morehead State University. Patrick is active in state-wide advocacy on behalf of behavioral health services, serving on many statewide committees, boards and advisory groups, and currently serves at the Public Policy Chairperson for CBHA.
Consultant
George Hovanec has served four Illinois Governor’s in the areas of state finance and health care policy. In July 1978, Mr. Hovanec joined the Illinois Bureau of the Budget working in the areas of revenue and personnel policies. Over the next twelve years he worked on public safety, transportation, and human services issues, eventually working on Medicaid and health care financing. In 1990 he became Deputy Director of the Bureau of the Budget and served in that capacity for four years. During that time, he advised Governor’s Thompson and Edgar on overall state budget issues, revenues projections, short‐term borrowing, and Medicaid Reform.
In March 1994 he became the State Medicaid Director, a position in which he served until 1999 when he returned to be a Deputy Director in Governor Ryan’s budget office. As State Medicaid Director he helped reduce the payment cycle from 110 to 16 days, eliminate the hospital assessment, increase primary care rates, and work through issues surrounding managed care. During his second tenure at the Bureau of the Budget he worked on Medicaid, human service, and state group insurance issues and participated in the emergency response to revenue failures during the economic downturn of 2001. He returned to the Department of Public Aid as State Medicaid Director and Acting Director of the Department in 2002 and worked on the transition between the Ryan and Blagojevich administrations.
Mr. Hovanec is now retired and occasionally consults on matters related to government financing of health care in Illinois. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts degree in public Administration from The Ohio State University.
CEO, Illinois Health Practice Alliance (IHPA)
David has more than 29 years of health care management and business development experience with disproportionate share and investor owned enterprises. He has successfully completed a number of hospital turnarounds; participated in development of several provider owned health plans; lead development of successful provider collaborations that address medical and public health needs; developed, opened, staffed and licensed new community based services and long term acute care hospitals; completed an array of medical practice acquisitions; lead government and community affairs for several hospitals; served on Mayor Daley’s Empowerment Zone Economic Development Council; lead growth for a number of investor owned companies; and consulted on many community health and wellness initiatives. In his most recent role, David provided vision, strategic and business leadership to the Sinai Health System as the Chief Business Development Officer. His responsibilities included development of strategic business initiatives, development of successful business relationships with an array of federally qualified health centers, community mental health providers, physicians and health systems; management of the Sinai Medical Group one of Chicago’s largest multispecialty medical groups; development of Progress Health Sinai’s physician hospital organization (PHO); management of health system transactions, physician recruitment and development, relationship management and referral development.
Chief Clinical Officer, Illinois Health Practice Alliance
Gilbert Lichstein is the Chief Clinical Officer for the Illinois Health Practice Alliance. He cherishes the opportunity this role offers to meet behavioral health providers from throughout the state and hear about their innovative and compassionate service offerings. Prior to this role, Gilbert was the Clinical Director for several outpatient and residential co-occurring disorder programs in the city of Chicago. In other roles, Gilbert was responsible for overseeing youth and senior programming for a Chicago Housing Authority contractor and managed several other behavioral health programs in the Chicagoland area. Gilbert holds an active LCPC license, is a MINT-trained Motivational Interviewing trainer, and has degrees in Clinical Psychology, Aerospace Engineering, and Physics. Gilbert’s clinical interests include the implantation of evidence-based practices and technology-based solutions for the treatment of co-occurring mental health, addiction, and primary care issues.
CFO, Illinois Health Practice Alliance
Fabian Camarena is the Chief Financial Officer for the Illinois Health Practice Alliance and a Certified Public Accountant. Fabian started his career as a consultant for the professional services firm of Arthur Andersen were he provided audit and financial statement review services to publicly traded and private entities. Prior to his current role, Fabian was the Controller for Aetna Better Help of Illinois and BCBSIL. In other roles, Fabian has served as the CFO at the Illinois Medical District and Controller at various Wall Street Investment Banks providing finance and technical accounting expertise. Fabian holds Bachelor of Science Degrees in both Accounting and Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
Principal Chicago, IL
A seasoned leader with experience establishing strategic and effective partnerships, Tim Sheehan has developed and led programs to improve performance for Medicaid, mental health, opioid, managed care and other healthcare relationships and programs.
Before joining HMA, Tim spent nearly three decades with Lutheran Social Services of Illinois where he served in various roles including vice president of home and community services. The organization serves more than 60,000 clients with home care, senior housing, prison ministry, child welfare, developmental disabilities (DD), substance use and mental health services.
His work included collaborating on a Medicare Advantage Care Management model to spur individuals to access social determinants of health resources at a local level. He also oversaw development of performance-based contracts with managed care organizations, including use of bundled rates, which resulted in contracts yielding significant financial return and improved member care. Tim also contracted with CountyCare and partnered with five care management entities to create an integrated discharge and follow up to hospitalization pilot.
In addition to crafting and implementing projects, he partnered with statewide trade organizations and corporate partners to develop a behavioral health pathway to obtain value-based agreements by contracting beyond the limits of a single organization. Most recently, he helped develop the first behavioral health Independent Practice Alliance in Illinois
A true advocate for those in need, he also provided substance use disorder support, overseeing implementation of a medication assisted detoxification center, part of a medication assisted treatment strategy for local emergency rooms. Tim and his team developed five, 24/7 hospital emergency room diversion programs and a mobile crisis component to complement this cluster of programs to lower inpatient mental health admissions.
With a Master of Social Work from Loyola University, Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Tim has worked diligently over his career to improve the well-being of the clients he has served.
He has served on the board of directors for the Community Behavioral Health Association (CBHA) where he was part of the team that passed five laws benefiting care to individuals with behavioral health conditions. He also served in Public Policy for CBHA for eight years.
Behavioral Health Policy Associate -Managed Care Specialist CommunityBehavioral Healthcare Association of IL (CBHA)
Anna Schneider joined CBHA as a Behavioral Health Policy Associate and quickly became involved in leading CBHA’s efforts to better Illinois’ Medicaid managed-care system. She currently works to reduce and resolve billing denials by engaging leadership of Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and Illinois Medicaid Managed Care Plans. Anna also develops systemic solutions to the managed-care system by analyzing both claim denial trends and feedback from providers. Anna grew up in Quincy, Illinois before she moved to Springfield where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. In 2019, she received her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Urbana-Champaign specializing in Leadership and Social Change. Anna’s interest in social issues and justice has led her to work in the areas of youth development, public education, and behavioral healthcare. She now resides in Chicago with her daughter, where she enjoys CrossFit and learning Spanish.
Executive Director
Why did you choose Family Service Association of Greater Elgin Area?
I have been at FSA for a little over 5 years. This is the best place that I have ever worked. FSA has a strong mission and values that resonate with me. FSA is true to the social work values that I embrace also. We embrace a strong family approach to treatment and we value the families that come here as well as our co-workers and colleagues in the community. I often say that FSA is a comfortably sheltered place to be because everyone that comes here is treated with dignity and respect.
If you had to give a 2-minute elevator speech on what you do every day, what would you say?
Hmmm…this is tough. I often come to work with a plan on what I am going to get done that day and it never really quite works out that way. So, I am much better on the elevator speech of what our agency does. FSA serves the community by meeting the mental health needs of youth and their families. We do this by not only engaging the family in treatment but we also work together with our community partners so that people can achieve the goals they have for themselves.
What is the best part of working in the mental health field?
I am humbled that people allow us to be a part of their lives. They share their joys, sadnesses, vulnerabilities, and successes. I am honored to be a partner in life’s journey.
What is the favorite part of your job?
I love to see the hard work of our clinicians result in good outcomes. I really enjoy meeting with my team for supervision and hearing the stories of the people they serve. I also really enjoy working together with other community members to provide a better system of care for people in need.
Who has had the most influence on your work career?
I have had a lot of influences and am not sure I can name just one. I have learned things from both my good experiences and bad. I thank my parents for my love of work, in general.
If you could meet someone, dead or alive, who would it be?
I have always been fascinated with people who think outside the box. I would love to talk with Stephen Hawking or Elon Musk. Brilliant minds with lots of ambition and a drive to make things different.
If you could pick a superpower what would it be?
I would like to be able to freeze time. There is never enough time in a day!!
Favorite Food?
Pasta. Definitely pasta. Usually with a red sauce or pesto sauce.
Weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
My brother dared me to eat a June beetle and so of course I did. You must do all dares!
What is the most interesting place that you've visited?
So, I’m probably supposed to pick a town or a country, but I’m going to say the Federal Reserve. For a project in Social Work School, we went to visit the Federal Reserve and how they manage the money of the USA was incredibly fascinating to me.
PhD, CCHP
Dr. Karen Batia is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of clinical and executive leadership experience in community-based healthcare. She specializes in bringing together different healthcare sectors, payers and providers including those that impact the social determinants of health to create integrated delivery models focused on population health strategies that improve health outcomes.
Since joining HMA, Dr. Batia has provided consultation to providers, hospitals and health systems, accountable care organizations, executive leadership and provider networks, and health plans regarding integrated service delivery, behavioral health redesign, care management, strategic planning, financing models, and managed care contracting.
Prior to consulting, Dr. Batia led the development of, and served as chief executive officer for, Together4Health, a care coordination entity comprised of 34 owner-organizations that includes hospitals and social service, primary care, and behavioral health providers across Cook County, Illinois.
Dr. Batia also served as executive director of Heartland Health Outreach and vice president of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights. In this capacity, she oversaw primary and oral health services, outpatient and residential mental health and addictions treatment, refugee health programs, cross-cultural interpreting services, and a continuum of other services. As executive director, she designed and implemented integrated health services in order to better position the agency to respond to healthcare reform.
She earned her doctorate and master’s degrees from the Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies of Adelphi University, Garden City, New York, and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.
The Nolan Group & President of David Ormsby, Inc.
David Ormsby is a leading provider of communications strategy and message development in the state of Illinois. He has spent his career developing and deploying a series of public relations campaigns for a broad array of clients.
Many of the clients that work with his firm have a hand in changing the face of public policy. David’s firm has deployed campaigns for governmental officials, political candidates, trade associations, and private businesses. Under David’s leadership, his firm has become known for setting goals and exceeding expectations. After years of dealing with the media in Springfield and around the state, David decided to establish a firm of his own in 1998.
In addition to his work running a public relations, public affairs practice and a polling organization, David has shared his personal views on politics and public policy on multiple platforms, including leading influence sites like the Huffington Post. David has also been a guest on WLS-TV, WBBM-TV, Garrard McClendon Live, Milt Rosenberg’s WGN Extension 720, the Ray Hanania Show (WSBC AM 1240), Chicago Politics Tonight and others.
Consulting
Liz Brown is working her 20th Session at the Illinois State Capitol. Liz served as a member of Speaker Madigan’s Staff for nearly a decade. Liz served as Legislative Director running floor operations, overseeing committees, including Executive and Revenue Committees and analyzing legislation. Liz worked as the labor liaison for Speaker Madigan dealing with hundreds of Illinois labor unions. Liz also was the Director of the Redistricting. She helped craft the 2001 legislative map, judicial sub circuits and various community college districts, which are all current law. Liz was assigned as the staff person and media coordinator for several of the current sitting House Members. Along with being named “Best Contract Lobbyist” – Liz was previously named Best Legislative Staffer by Capitol Fax while she served on Madigan’s Staff.
On the political side, Liz served as campaign manager, candidate recruiter and media advisor on dozens of legislative races throughout the state including those of many incumbent State Representatives and managed the highly successful get-out-the-vote efforts of the Democratic Party of Illinois and the Illinois Attorney General. She also served as staff to the Democratic National Conventions in 2000 & 2004 and most recently in July of 2016. Most recently Liz played an instrumental role in the primary & general election of Democratic Candidate for Attorney General Kwame Raoul. Liz is also on the Charter Committee for the newly formed Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus. Liz worked as a Regional Campaign Manager for the Illinois House Democrats for Democratic Chairman Michael J. Madigan during the 2018 General Elections. Liz was elected as Biden Delegate for the Democratic National Convention in 2020 representing the 18th Congressional District.
President and CEO
With more than 20 years of experience in behavioral health, Charles Ingoglia has worked as a provider, advocate, and educator for government and public sector organizations. Prior to becoming President and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, Ingoglia served as the Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Practice Improvement, where he directed the federal and state affairs function of the National Council, and oversaw practice improvement and technical assistance programs offered to more than 500,000 behavioral health professionals across the U.S. His efforts have centered on key issues such as parity, healthcare reform, and improving the experience of mental health and addictions care and treatment engagement. Before joining the National Council, Ingoglia provided policy and program design guidance to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He also has directed state government relations and service system improvement projects for the National Mental Health Association, served as a policy analyst for the National Association of Social Workers, and designed educational programs for mental health and addictions professionals at the Association of Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare. He has worked in a transitional shelter with homeless persons and provided individual, group and couples counseling at the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, DC. Ingoglia is adjunct faculty at the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management.
Senior Billing Analyst, Children's Home Association of Illinois
Aaron has worked with the Children's Home Association of IL for 6-1/2 years. The Children’s Home Association is located in Peoria and primarily serves the TriCounty area of Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties. Aaron started working as a resident advisor in one the Transitional Living homes at Children’s Home and then transitioned to a Quality Improvement role. Billing was handed off to him as one of those "extra duties as assigned" and the rest is history. Aaron has participated in many process improvement projects with the ultimate goal of removing unnecessary manual work and simplifying systems to allow teams more time to focus on the quality of care provided to those they serve. Aaron is currently completing his MBA with a focus in both Business Analytics and Accounting Information Systems. He and his wife have 3 dogs and 2 cats and he spends most of his spare time attempting to train their 8 month old puppy.
PhD, Executive Director of the Telebehavioral Health Institute
Marlene M. Maheu, PhD has been a telebehavioral health pioneer since 1994. As the Executive Director of the Telebehavioral Health Institute, she has overseen the development and delivery of online telehealth training and micro certifications to more than 39,000 professionals from 97 countries. She has served various organizations to develop telebehavioral health standards and guidelines, including the American Telemedicine Association, the American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association.
She is also the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit Coalition for Technology in Behavioral Science (CTiBS), where she chaired the committee that published the CTiBS Interprofessional Framework for Telebehavioral Health Competencies. She has published five telehealth textbooks and 40 telehealth-related journal articles; founded the Journal for Technology in Behavioral Science (JTiBS) and is the host for the Optimizing Telehealth podcast.
LCSW, Director of Clinical Services, Family Service Association
Janeth Barba, LCSW is the Director of Clinical Services at FSA (Family Service Association) a community mental health agency with services in Kane and Kendall County. In her role Janeth provides clinical and administrative oversight to the 8 clinical programs to include SASS, Mental Health Juvenile Justice, Therapeutic Mentoring, Therapy Services, School Based Mental Health, Intake Department, Psychiatric Services and Crisis Intervention Team Enhanced (CITE). Janeth is a Police Social Work Supervisor for FSA’s newest program CITE through Aurora Police Department that focus on responding to individuals in a mental health crisis through co-response with Officers or follow up case management.
Janeth graduated from Illinois State University with her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work. Janeth has focused her career on working with children, youth, and families in crisis situations and those in need of intensive community-based services. Prior to FSA Janeth worked with DuPage County Court Services as part of their specialized team of therapist focused on work with high risk juveniles and their families. Janeth has training as an Multi Systemic Treatment therapist and has a strong experience working with hospitals, schools, law enforcement, court services, and other social services agencies.
Apply the traits of a child from a Jewish mother fused with Middle Eastern teachings to a black woman in the Mid - West and you’d get Chef Q. Ibraheem. Culinary art school was a farm in Georgia, a chair to stand on over the stove top while being taught recipes in her mother’s kitchen and her father’s halal poultry shop in Detroit’s Eastern Market, America’s largest farmers market.
Chef Q’s hospitality career began immediately after highschool in Greek restaurants where she began in the front of the house. Determined to cook she applied for a culinary apprenticeship where she was given the opportunity to apprentice with a Top Chef. Traveling through the restaurant scenes in Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago she scored a position at Michelin starred Elizabeth and moved quickly to another kitchen to work as an Executive Sous Chef. After acquiring the skills for training staff that became kitchen teams she became an Executive Sous Chef, Executive chef and then Corporate Executive Chef at P.S. It’s Social a restaurant training program for ex-offenders and at - risk young adults
Chef Q develops culinary art curricula for workforce development programs and 501c3’s that focus on cultural awareness through food diversity. Her curricula has been implemented by Oakton Community College / Workforce Development Department where she began a new passion as a culinary art instructor. She showcases her culinary, educational and agricultural backgrounds at private dinner tables as Owner & Executive Chef of Teertsemasesottehg - Secret Location Underground Supper Club and employs youth that have completed her culinary training programs. Chef Q. Ibraheem serves as President on the board of The Evanston Food Exchange, an organization that focuses on 86’n food insecurity. She is also the Operations Manager of the Foster Street Urban Agriculture Program.
This Chicago Chef Used to Charge $250 a Meal. Now She’s Feeding People in Need for Free
Evanston chef coordinates meal deliveries for families in need during coronavirus pandemic
Meet Chef Q Ibraheem of Teertsemasesottehg in Northshore
54 million people in the US may go hungry during the pandemic
Check out Chef Q’s Facebook page.
Catering, culinary instruction, couples classes, demos, garden demos, underground dining, workforce development, mentorship, Chef Q specializes in building community. Build memories with your CBHA friends and colleagues while engaging in a fun cooking class taught by Chef Q. Check out the recipe and shopping list of ingredients needed for the class.
After we have made our delicious lunch, we invite everyone to stay online to network and catch up with each other virtually via a game of Trivia!
Det. Rashkow has been in law enforcement and peace keeping for 32 years. He has served with several agencies and has served with the second largest city in Illinois for 29 years. Det. Rashkow has been assigned to Community Oriented Policing (10 years), The Domestic Violence Reduction Unit (5 years), investigations and juvenile investigations, and currently serves as the Coordinator of the Department Crisis Intervention Team Enhanced. This also includes leadership of approximately 30 CIT, multiple community partnerships and the Elder Service/Abuse Program.
Det. Rashkow teaches Mental Health First Aid for Adults/1st Responders, Veterans and Seniors for NAMI DuPage, CIT, Domestic Violence and Elder Abuse for ILETSB (Illinois Law Enforcement Standards and Training Board), among others. He has attended more than 400 post academy trainings and certification courses.
