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Cook County Health & the Cook County Department of Public Health are proud to have hosted the

Behavioral Health Workforce Symposium

Thank you for attending!

Click here to watch a stream of the event

Cook County Health Office of Behavioral Health Workforce Symposium Presentation

Guest Speakers

For full bios click on the speakers below

Toni Preckwinkle

County Board President, Cook County

Dr. Erik Mikaitis

Interim Chief Executive Officer, Cook County Health

Dr. Thomas Nutter

Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Cook County Health

Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck

Chief Operating Officer, Cook County Department of Public Health

Jennifer Brothers

Executive Director, Impact Fund and Community Services, Cook County Health

Andy Hall

Consultant, Sage/Trailhead Team

Lindsey Artola

President and Owner, Sage Health Strategy

Juan Carlos Linares

President and CEO, Association House of Chicago

Nareman Taha

Co-Founder and Co-Director, Arab American Family Services

Sharronne Ward

President and CEO, Grand Prairie Services

Kendrick Dial

Poet, Movement Be

Lorrie Rickman Jones

Consultant at Sage Health Strategy

Neil Jordan

Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Preventative Medicine, Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University

Lavoris Lennon

Mental Health and Substance Misuse Disorder Peer Recovery Specialist, AmeriCorps/Family Guidance Centers, Inc.

Jake Edwards

Vice President, Impact Investments, Social Finance

Blanca Campos

Chief Executive Officer, the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association

Jessica A. Love Jordan, PhD

Assistant Professor, LCPC, CADC, NCC, Governor’s State University

Amy Watson

Professor, Wayne State University, the School of Social Work

Dr. Rosario Cosme

West Campus Outpatient Medical Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program Director, Rush University Medical Center

Sonya Leathers, PhD

Professor, Jane Addams College of Social Work, UIC, Director, Illinois Behavioral Health Workforce Center at UIC

John Parkhurst, PhD

Child and Adolescent Psychologist, The Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health; Coordinator, Mood Anxiety ADHD Collaborative Care (MAACC) Program

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Toni Preckwinkle is the 35th president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, an office she has held since 2010. She is the first Black woman to be elected to the office. A dedicated and effective public servant, President Preckwinkle has worked to transform County government through increased fiscal responsibility, transparency, and improved services.

Leveraging more than 30 years of political experience and leadership, President Preckwinkle has restored credibility to County government, solving for more than $2.87 billion in budget deficits and providing supplemental pension payments of almost $2 billion above the required contribution since 2016, significantly reducing unfunded pension liabilities.

As the top executive in Cook County, the nation’s second most populous County, President Preckwinkle oversees one of the nation’s largest public health and hospitals systems and one of the nation’s largest criminal justice systems.

Under her leadership, Cook County used the Affordable Care Act to create CountyCare, a managed care program for Medicaid-eligible residents. Cook County provides quality care to more than 500,000 individuals through the health system and health plan.

President Preckwinkle has remained committed to reimagining our criminal justice system and taking an approach that also addresses mental health issues, substance abuse and addiction as illnesses to be treated, not crimes to be punished.

During President Preckwinkle’s administration, she has worked to expand the scope of the Justice Advisory Council (JAC) to coordinate and implement juvenile justice reform and public safety policy. In coordination with the JAC, President Preckwinkle has worked collaboratively with the County’s public safety stakeholders towards the goals of safely reducing the population of the Cook County Jail and Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center while preserving public safety, reducing recidivism, and promoting fair and equitable access to justice.

Cook County represents the core of the region’s population, jobs, businesses and productivity. The economic footprint of the Chicago region is larger than that of most nations in the world. One of the great strengths of Cook County, and the larger region, is the diversity of the local economy. In 2011, President Preckwinkle created the Bureau of Economic Development to lead and promote equitable economic growth and community development throughout the County.

Promoting equity, specifically racial equity, has been a central principle of President Preckwinkle’s leadership. In November 2018, the Office of the President released the Cook County Policy Roadmap: Five-Year Strategic Plan for Offices Under the President to guide her administration’s policy and equity work.

President Preckwinkle is also President of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, one of the oldest and largest forest preserve districts in the United States. The district receives an estimated 62 million visits each year, providing residents with outdoor recreation and environmental education opportunities.

Before she was elected Cook County Board President, President Preckwinkle served 19 years as Alderman of the 4th Ward. As Alderman, she oversaw the redevelopment of the Kenwood, Oakland, Douglas, Grand Boulevard and Hyde Park neighborhoods. She established a reputation as a progressive on the City Council and a champion for affordable housing. She was a co-sponsor of the living wage ordinances that passed the City Council in 1998 and 2002.

Prior to holding elected office, President Preckwinkle was a high school history teacher for ten years, before serving as an economic development coordinator for the City of Chicago and the executive director of the Chicago Jobs Council. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, President Preckwinkle came to Chicago to attend the University of Chicago, from where she holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. She is the proud mother of two and grandmother of three.

Dr. Erik Mikaitis was appointed as the Interim Chief Executive Officer for Cook County Health in November 2023 by the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Dr. Mikaitis provides executive leadership to advance the health system’s strategic imperatives and ensure the provision of high-quality care and services, in collaboration with CCH’s medical and business leaders.

Since joining CCH as Chief Quality Officer in 2022, Dr. Mikaitis has served as a champion of quality and compliance, implementing evidence-based processes to improve the delivery of care across the system. He implemented numerous quality initiatives to improve patient outcomes across CCH, including a new multifaceted strategy deployment system that resulted in significant improvement in the system’s sepsis prevention and treatment. Dr. Mikaitis enhanced the system’s quality and safety dashboard and deployed a regulatory readiness program. In this role, he also provided guidance for utilization management, coding and documentation, and hospital throughput.

Dr. Mikaitis previously served as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Franciscan Health Crown Point, where, among other duties, he led the development of safety protocols and processes during the COVID-19 pandemic and developed a new dashboard for communicating quality improvements to the board. Prior to assuming that role, Dr. Mikaitis served as Medical Director of the Franciscan Health Accountable Care Organization in the northern Indiana and south suburban Chicago regions.

A board-certified Internal Medicine Physician, Dr. Mikaitis earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a Master of Business Administration from DePaul University, and a medical degree from Ross University.

Dr. Nutter is a psychiatrist with broad clinical interests and 24 years post-residency clinical experience.  He has served in academic and public-sector leadership roles for the past 18 years, currently as Chief Behavioral Health Officer for Cook County Health and previously as Chief of Mental Health at the Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital, one the VA’s highest-performing 1A systems of mental health care.  He is a graduate of Valparaiso University and the University of Illinois College of Medicine-Rockford. He completed psychiatry residency at McGaw Medical Center/Northwestern University.

Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck is the Chief Operating Officer of the Cook County Department of Public Health, a subsidiary of Cook County Health. He previously served as the Executive Director for the National Association of County and City Health Officials which represents the nation’s 3,000 local health departments. Prior to that, Dr. Hasbrouck was the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. He spent twelve years as a senior medical officer and “disease detective” at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has been on the frontline of disease outbreaks, including swine flu, MERS, Ebola, and Zika virus, in the US and abroad. Dr. Hasbrouck received his BA and MPH degrees from the University of California-Berkeley and graduated Dean’s Scholar from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He completed his internal medicine residency at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital and received a certificate in leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School and his MBA in leadership and organizational health from the University of Saint Mary.

Jennifer Brothers is the Executive Director of the Impact Fund and Community Services, where she spearheads the Office of Behavioral Health’s community-based behavioral health and substance use initiatives across Cook County. With over 20 years of experience as a public health practitioner and researcher, she is dedicated to addressing health disparities through innovation, community-based participatory approaches, and capacity building. Before her current role, Jennifer led the Behavioral Health Unit at the Cook County Department of Public Health. She holds a Master of Public Health in International Health and Development from Tulane University and is nearing the completion of her Doctorate in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Outside of her professional commitments, Jennifer enjoys exploring new adventures with her husband, Matt, and their children, Grace and Charlie.

Andy Hall is the President & CEO of Trailhead Strategies where he has been leading projects and teams to help clients on their journey to build a more inclusive, resilient, and competitive American workforce since January 2022. Andy has served as a project manager, subject matter expert, and consultant on talent initiatives in the behavioral health, healthcare, technology, biotech, food service, public sector, construction, and social enterprise sector. Andy stands shoulder to shoulder with clients helping them research, design, finance, and execute projects that lead to a more inclusive, resilient, and competitive American workforce. From 2014 – 2021, Andy was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Impact Officer at the San Diego Workforce Partnership, directing the overall strategy and execution of $25M – $35M in annual workforce development programming, research, and operations. In this role, Andy specialized in designing and executing workforce innovations related to talent finance, federal program administration (WIOA, SNAP, TANF), outcomes-based contracting, business services, research, and building regional coalitions to address youth disconnection, job quality, sector-specific workforce shortages, and more. Andy earned his B.A with a double major in Economics and History from UC San Diego and holds an M.B.A. from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Andy is a graduate of the Presidio Institute for Cross-Sector Leadership Fellow program, was named to San Diego’s 30 under 30 list in 2017, and his work has been profiled in Forbes, CNBC, CalMatters, the San Diego Union Tribune, among other outlets.  

Lindsey Artola is President and Owner of Sage Health Strategy, a boutique consulting practice focused on government-sponsored health care programs. Lindsey provides overall firm leadership and strategic guidance to payors, providers, and associations to drive growth and retention strategies, bridge the divide between payor and provider, as well as enhance communication and engagement with members, providers, and communities. Since assuming ownership of the firm in 2020, she has expanded and diversified the client base and doubled revenues, while still maintaining a commitment to health care for the underserved.

With over 25 years’ experience, many at the C-suite level, in healthcare policy, regulation, reimbursement, and managed care programs for providers and payors, Lindsey knows first-hand the challenges and successes of the industry and has employed the expertise she learned in previous roles to tackle client problems and provide meaningful solutions that create impact.
Prior to joining Sage, Lindsey was Vice President of External Affairs at IlliniCare Health, a subsidiary of Centene Corporation and one of Illinois’ leading Medicaid managed care plans. In this role she had leadership responsibility for all policy and government relations activities, community relations and communications. While at IlliniCare, Lindsey was a key player in plan growth from 18,000 lives under management to over 400,000, including the launch of a Marketplace product and a large ASO contract.

Prior to Illinicare Health, Lindsey served as Chief External Affairs Officer for Presence Health, one of Illinois’ largest health systems. In this role, she led successful efforts to secure federal approval for a bundled payment demonstration and a Medicare Shared Savings (ACO) pilot and was the senior executive responsible for leading an internal multi-disciplinary Medicaid Steering Committee to develop a system-wide strategy to respond to Illinois’ transition to Medicaid managed care.

Lindsey holds a Master in Health Administration from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor in Political Science from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. She serves on the Board of Mercy Housing Lakefront and the Kennedy Forum of Illinois and is an Advisory Board Member for Genesis Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. She is married with two grown daughters and is enjoying life as an empty-nester on the near North Side of Chicago.

Juan Carlos Linares is the President and CEO of Association House of Chicago, one of the region’s largest social service agencies, offering 35 programs in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, and workforce development. He is currently leading the celebration of the organization’s 125th anniversary and oversees services for 12,000 individuals annually.

Under his leadership, AHC’s budget has grown from $12 million to $22 million, and its endowment from $12 million to $18 million. Juan Carlos has implemented initiatives like culinary careers for justice-involved individuals and mental health counseling in schools. He has also engaged with high-level officials, including the Illinois Governor and U.S. Secretaries of Education and Labor.

Previously, Juan Carlos served as Chicago’s first Chief Engagement Officer, establishing the city’s youth commission and representing the Mayor at national events. As Executive Director of LUCHA, he expanded services to 9,000 individuals and significantly increased affordable housing assets.

He teaches Hate Crime Law at the University of Chicago Law School and is active on several boards, including the Latino Policy Forum and Urban Theater Company. A proud son of immigrant parents from Peru and Guatemala, Juan Carlos lives in Chicago with his wife Monica and their two teenagers.

In 2001, Nareman Taha Co-Founded Arab American Family Services (AAFS) and is currently serves as Co-Founder and Co-Director of AAFS.  AAFS is among the first leading social service organizations in the South and Southwest suburbs established to serve and advocate for Arab Americans within the Chicago land area. Located strategically in Worth, Illinois, AAFS’s mission to change and impact the quality of life by serving and building stronger and healthier generations of Arab Americans in our communities has created a profound impact on the lives of thousands of individuals and families. 

Nareman Taha oversees and works within the various areas of administration, management, advocacy, community service, fund raising and development to improve and provide quality life to underserved and underrepresented Arab Americans and immigrant families and individuals. As a community catalyst, Nareman devotedly coordinates the agency’s efforts to identify and eradicate barriers to the participation of Arab/Muslim based/community groups in accessing services. 

Nareman Taha is a highly accomplished, passionate and motivated public service leader. She has a broad background in community development and social service delivery at the local, state and federal levels, as well as extensive experience in community affairs.  

Nareman received her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 1999. In 2006 she graduated with her Master’s in Public Service Management from DePaul.   

Sharronne Ward is the President and CEO of Grand Prairie Services (GPS), a nonprofit integrated healthcare provider with over 70 years of experience serving families in South Cook County.

With 36 years in service delivery, Dr. Ward is an advocate for mental healthcare access and social determinants of health. She collaborates with community providers to create a seamless system of medical and mental health care, emphasizing accountability and transparency in service delivery.

Dr. Ward is involved in various advocacy and professional groups, contributing to quality improvement projects nationwide. She has expertise in behavioral healthcare, including counseling, curriculum development, and grief support, particularly within the faith-based community.

She holds a Bachelor’s in Administration of Justice from Southern Illinois University, a Master’s in Rehabilitation Facility Management from DePaul University, a Master’s in Religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Doctorate in Counseling. Dr. Ward is also a licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois.

Kendrick Dial aka Mr. Lyrical Groove is a Navy veteran, seamlessly blends social work training, academia, and artistic expression. From radar technician to Substance Abuse Counselor, Kendrick’s journey ignited a commitment to social transformation. Equipped with a Bachelor’s in Africana Studies (SDSU) and a Master’s in Social Work (USC), he serves as a seasoned consultant under his personal brand Creative Engagement, navigating a myriad topics such as D.E.I, managing conflict, organizational health, social emotional intelligence and cultural dynamics that impact community and professional spaces. Throughout his work, Kendrick loves to employ experiential learning experience often infusing the artistic mediums he has come to explore including, poetry, music, film, and theatre. His versatility extends to the arts, where he stands as a luminary artisan. Kendrick Dial is a cultural alchemist and renaissance man, and serves as a writer, composer, songwriter, actor the founder of the award-winning spoken soul band, the Lyrical Groove. His professional and artistic work reflect the soulful sum of his experience as a curator of arts programming, a seeker of truth and social justice and holistic wellbeing. 

Dr. Lorrie Rickman Jones provides evidence-based healthcare solutions at Sage Health Strategy, consulting for organizations like Federally Qualified Health Centers and state health systems in Illinois, New York, and Alabama. Her expertise includes behavioral health crisis expansion, population health, health equity, and integrated care solutions.

From 2015 to 2020, Dr. Jones was Vice President of Strategic Innovation and Behavioral Health at NextLevel Health, leading initiatives in population health and Integrated Health Homes. She also served as Senior Policy Advisor for Behavioral Health in the Illinois Governor’s Office from 2013 to 2015, where she directed behavioral health policy across state agencies. Earlier, she was the Director of the Illinois Division of Mental Health from 2005 to 2013, managing state psychiatric hospitals and community services for over 200,000 individuals.

A licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Jones has extensive experience in behavioral health assessment and treatment. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Tufts University and Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from Howard University.

Dr. Jones is a founding board member of the Kennedy Forum Illinois and has held leadership positions in various mental health organizations, including the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and the Council of State Governments Justice Center. She has also served on the SAMHSA Advisory Council and various expert panels.

Neil Jordan is Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Preventive Medicine, and Medical Social Sciences at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Trained as a health services researcher and health economist, Dr. Jordan’s research focuses on identifying & implementing high value services and systems of care for persons with complex chronic illness. Much of his work addresses challenges associated with access to, cost, and quality of mental health treatment. 

Lavoris Lennon is a Mental Health and Substance Misuse Disorder Peer Recovery Specialist who services in Chicago, Ill, and a Recovery Navigator through RecoveryCorps at Family Guidance Center, Inc. Lavoris will begin their third term as a Project Coordinator at Health Alternative Services (H.A.S.)

Jake Edwards is a Vice President of Impact Investments at Social Finance, where he leads a portfolio of economic mobility initiatives that use innovative financing models to increase access to effective programs, shift risk away from learners, and pair high-quality training with critical wrap-around supports. His work includes oversight of the Google Career Certificate Fund, Dreamers Graduate Loan Program and a portfolio of regional Pay It Forward Funds. 

Since joining the organization in February 2014, he has worked with the advisory services and impact investment teams to design, implement and manage projects across jurisdictions and issue areas, from child welfare to housing and homelessness. 

Prior to joining Social Finance, Jake was a policy analyst with the Massachusetts House Committee on Ways and Means. Jake graduated Cum Laude from Middlebury College, with a dual major in Economics and History. 

Blanca Campos, MPA, CAE, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association (CBHA), one of the leading behavioral health trade associations in the state of Illinois. 

Blanca’s leadership in advancing critical legislative initiatives and her work on various state advisory committees highlight her passion and dedication to improving behavioral health services in Illinois. 

Her achievements, including the expansion of telehealth, the creation of the Behavioral Health Workforce Center and Loan Repayment Program, and securing over $200 million in new funding, underscore her effectiveness in advocating for and implementing policies that enhance the behavioral health system for children, adults and families in our state.  

Blanca’s involvement with numerous advisory boards and committees further demonstrates her commitment to addressing complex issues in mental health, substance use, and crisis intervention. Her academic background and professional credentials, including her master’s in public administration and Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential, reflect her expertise and dedication to the field. 

Blanca’s leadership and advocacy are shaping a more effective, equitable, and responsive behavioral health care system for Illinois residents. 

Jessica A. Love Jordan, PhD, LCPC, NCC, CADC, is a licensed clinical professional counselor and board-certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor in the state of Illinois. Based in the Chicagoland area, she is an Assistant Professor in the Addictions Studies graduate program at Governors State University, a Psychotherapist and Clinical Director at Cultivate Your Essence, LLC, and the Owner/Operator of Love Behavioral Health Consulting, LLC. As a counselor & educator, Dr. Love Jordan is passionate about helping clients, clinicians and community stakeholders enhance their knowledge, skills, and capacity for effectively addressing substance misuse, mental illness, and other behavioral health concerns. She earned her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision and Master of Health Science in Addictions Studies from Governors State University. 

Amy C Watson, PhD is a professor in the School of Social at Wayne State University. Trained as a mental health services researcher, she has focused on people with serious mental illnesses that come in contact with the criminal legal system and interventions to prevent and reduce criminal legal involvement. She has conducted extensive research on police encounters with persons with mental illnesses and the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model. Her current work is looking at models to reduce or eliminate the role of law enforcement in mental health crisis response and the development of the non-law enforcement crisis response workforce. Earlier in her research career, she was the project director of a NIMH funded center focused on mental illness stigma, and stigma reduction remains an important theme in her work. Other professional activities include serving on the CIT International Board of Directors from 2016-2021, (as President of the Board 2020-2021) and on the compliance team for the Department of Justice Settlement Agreement with the City of Portland, Oregon. Her direct practice experience includes working as a probation officer on a team serving clients with serious mental illnesses and as a Forensic Social Worker/Mitigation Specialist working on death penalty cases. She has a BA in Criminal Justice from Aurora University and an AM and PhD from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. 

Dr. Cosme is the training director for the child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship program at Rush University Medical Center and the co-director of the West Campus Child and Adolescent Psychiatry clinic. As a teacher, clinician and researcher, Dr. Cosme has received several awards, is the author of numerous papers, and has presented for various organizations including the Latin American federation of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and allied professions, the European Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Her areas of interest include anxiety disorders, learning disabilities and their impact in children’s mental health, traditional and nontraditional interventions for the treatment of ADHD, and the role of religious-CBT treating adolescents with depression and self-injurious behaviors. Dr. Cosme graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo. She completed her psychiatry residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in NY, and her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, where she has stayed in practice for the last thirteen years. 

Sonya J. Leathers, PhD, is a professor at the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the director of the Illinois Behavioral Health Workforce Center activities at UIC. Her areas of expertise include the development of effective behavioral health training programs, mental health services research in public service systems, interventions for children and adolescents with complex behavior problems, and implementation methods. She is the director of an evidence-based mental health practices training program and a recipient of the UIC Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her research is focused on the mental health needs of children and adolescents in foster care with complex needs and the development of more effective behavioral health service systems. Over the past two decades, she has received continuous federal and state funding for multiple research projects and training programs funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Institute for Mental Health, the Illinois Division of Mental Health, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Administration for Children and Families, and private foundations. 

Dr. Parkhurst is a clinical child and adolescent psychologist and Psychology Director of Collaborative Care in the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. He is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. Dr. Parkhurst directs the Mood, Anxiety, ADHD Collaborative Care (MAACC) program that trains and consults with pediatric primary care provider to expand access to mental health treatment. Dr. Parkhurst has helped facilitate multiple funded (PMH132502; PCORI-funded NCT04598230) primary care initiatives including Stronger Together Cook County Health that will extend the MAACC program to partner FQHCs. Areas of research include anxiety disorders, suicide prevention, and diagnostic decision making.