Dr. Susan Stone, Executive Coordinator

Dr. Stone graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. with Honors in History. She then went on to attend the University of Texas Law School, and then the University of Texas Medical School to earn her law and medical degrees. She completed her residency in psychiatric medicine also at the University of Texas, and served as Chief Resident in her final year. She is the former Associate Medical Director and Director of Forensic Services for the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, and former Ethics Advisor for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. She has been a member of the State Bar of Texas since 1986, and is Board Certified in both General and Forensic Psychiatry.

Dr. Stone is currently a practicing psychiatrist, but she spends the majority of her time providing consultation to communities trying to accomplish system change. She has worked extensively in the development of a variety of community collaborative efforts related to mental health issues, and has done a significant amount of work in the Austin area to address these issues. Dr. Stone has been the Executive Coordinator of the MMHTFMC since October of 2005.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

The MMHTFMC is composed of community leaders from a wide array of organizations and constituencies. We feel fortunate that so many important leaders would donate their valuable time to our collaborative efforts. As detailed below, the wide array of expertise on the Committee is impressive, and has certainly been helpful in coordinating complex activities.

Zeta Angelich, Community Member

Zeta Angelich is Director of Marketing for Micro-Bac International, Inc., a biotechnology company based in Round Rock and Adjunct Professor at St. Edward’s University part time. She holds a BA in Communications from St. Edward’s University, and an MS in Organizational Leadership & Ethics, also from St. Edward’s University.  Her work and interests over the past 20 years in research, education, and our youth, have included teaching and serving on several non-profit boards involved with high risk youth. More recent interests include community awareness and prevention about mental health issues and homelessness faced here in Austin and the nation, currently serving with ECHO. She strongly advocates mental illness most often affects homelessness, and that housing should be first. She has published a number of articles and enjoys writing about “things that matter.”

The Reverend H. Ed Calahan, AGAPE Baptist Church

Reverand H. Ed Calahan, M.Ed., is Pastor of the Agape Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, where he has served faithfully for twelve years. He retired April 30, 2004 from the State of Texas after twenty years of service with the TDMHMR system. During this period of time, Mr. Calahan headed several directorships that brought about significant change within the TDMHMR system and has over 30 years experience within the Mental Health field. He served as the President of the National Association for Rural Mental Health. He recently finished a survey for the Austin Travis County MHMR Center for the Pastoral Care Project. Currently, he is a volunteer facilitator with the Austin Police Department on Perspectives on Profiling, a volunteer for the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Heart Association.

Joan Clayton, Ph.D

Joan Clayton, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Austin Veterans Affairs (VA) Mental Health Outpatient Clinic, part of the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) with VA facilities in seven locations in central Texas including Austin, Temple, and Waco.  She is currently the CTVHCS Coordinator for the Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) program as well as the Austin VA Clinic Local Recovery Coordinator, a position tasked with helping to implement recovery-oriented services.  She is also on the Board of The Irwin Foundation, a nonprofit organization promoting recovery principles and hosting Celebration Recovery events in local communities across the country and at the American Psychiatric Association's Institute on Psychiatric Services annual convention.  She is the principal writer of the pamphlet, "Building Better Tomorrows - Recovering from Mental Illness," a guide on recovery-oriented mental health services.  Dr. Clayton is a member of the American Psychological Association.    

Joe C. Colvin, Education Specialist

Dr. Colvin retired from the Houston Independent School District Special Education Department on January 29, 2002, after twenty years of working with students with disabilities. He received degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, Sam Houston State University and the University of Houston with a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. His experience in curriculum writing began in the Aldine Independent School District at Aldine Contemporary Education Center the year it opened in 1978. There he supervised the writing of the social studies individualized curriculum modules and taught all social studies classes. From there he went to North Forest Independent School District where he designed and implemented the special education program for emotionally disturbed students at Smiley High School. His work in curriculum continued in the Houston Independent School District special education program where he chaired the special education program at Sterling High School, an inner city mostly minority school. There he held the official annual review and dismissal meetings with parents and monitored the students and teachers in the classroom. Dr. Colvin was promoted to special education administration in the 1980's where he wrote social skills curriculum, and trained and monitored the progress of teachers in the Crane-Reynolds Level Management System behavioral strategies. He also placed severely emotionally disturbed children of all ages in private programs outside of the school district when the school district did not have the appropriate program in the district.

Melissa Cook, Travis County Office of Parental Representation

Melissa Cook, JD, LMSW is an attorney at the Travis County Office of Parental Representation and represents parents who are involved in the Child Protective Services system and have law suits pending against them to terminate or restrict their parental rights. Ms. Cook has participated on the MMHTFMC since 2007. Her interest in mental health dates back to her work as a social worker in the Austin Travis County Community, working primarily with youth and families involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

David Evans, Austin Travis County Integral Care

Executive Director David Evans has 30+ years experience as a leader in the mental health, mental retardation, and chemical dependence fields. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Science and a Master of Arts Degree in Education. Mr. Evans also serves as the Executive Director of the Center's affiliated non-profit New Milestones Foundation, Inc. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin, and a member of the Austin Wellness and Prevention Committee, Community Action Network Administrative Council, the Executive Director's Consortium of the Texas Council of Community Mental Health Mental Retardation Centers, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, NAMI, and a Board Member of Tejas Behavioral Health Services.Past Experience includes National Association of State Mental Health Directors, Georgia Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities, Georgia's Initiative for Children and Families Leadership Council, Trustee for the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, Past President of the National Association for State Mental Retardation Program Directors, State Commissioner for Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse, State of Georgia, and State Director of Mental Retardation Services, State of Nebraska.

Bart Farar, Meals on Wheels and More

Bart Farar has been providing direct social services for over 20 years, addressing the needs of individuals with developmental and physical disabilities and behavioral health issues. He has served in various capacities including program development, information and referral, case management and instructional roles, assisting persons who are homebound, homeless, institutionalized, or in group homes, always with an emphasis on consumer advocacy. He recently helped develop the CARE team at Meals on Wheels and More, where he serves as a comprehensive case manager. He also serves on ATCIC's Planning and Network Advisory Committee.

Sherri E. Fleming, Travis County Health and Human Services

Sherri E. Fleming is the Executive Manager for Travis County Health and Human Services and Veterans Service, a position she has held since October 2004. Ms. Fleming has also served as Director of Detention Services and Director of Court Services at Gardner Betts Juvenile Justice Center and at Travis County Health and Human Services and Veterans Services as Division Director for Family Support Services, a position she held for three years prior to her appointment as Executive Manager. Sherri holds a bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a master's in training and development from the University of Texas at Tyler. She has been a licensed chemical dependency counselor since 1992 and has worked in private practice for 13 years. Ms. Fleming is most proud of her work with the Basic Needs Coalition of Central Texas, a local collaboration involving government and the non-profit community. Ms. Fleming served as the chair of the Coalition from 2002 to 2003. Sherri is a native of New Orleans and has two sons.

Bonny Gardner, Ph.D.

Bonny Gardner is a self-employed Psychologist in the Austin area and holds a Master's Degree in Public Health. Gardner is interested in advocacy at the local and state levels in regard to mental health. She has professional training/experience in design and delivery of mental health services and public health administration. Gardner has extensive prior experience in health policy analysis, program design, evaluation, and professional experience in teaching community mental health courses at University of Kentucky.

Dianna K, Groves, Austin Independent School District

Dianna Groves, M.Ed., LPC, is currently employed as the Student Intervention Specialist, Department of Student Support Services at Austin Independent School District. She has served in the capacity of Licensed Professional Counselor, Campus Counselor, Middle School Guidance & Counseling Program Specialist. She is currently the Student Intervention Specialist for all levels within the AISD District. Her position is responsible for providing consultation and support for campuses and implementation of student intervention services. Groves coordinates and collaborates with many Austin community agencies and provider partners to assess and provide appropriate counseling support programs and educational programs.

Sergeant Kitty Hicks, Travis County Sheriff's Department

Sgt. Hicks is currently Travis County Sheriff's Department Crisis Intervention Team Supervisor and has served 18 years with the Department. She was a CIT deputy on the streets for 7 years and has been a supervisor at Travis County Correctional Complex in Building Three. Sgt. Hicks has also served as supervisor over the Classification Section for the Jail and has been working with the mentally ill community for approximately 10 years.
 

Judge Nancy Hohengarten, Travis County Criminal Court

Judge Nancy Hohengarten presides over Travis County Court at Law 5 which hears adult misdemeanor criminal cases. She is a former Assistant Attorney General, Assistant Travis County District Attorney and criminal defense attorney. She is co-chair of the Austin Travis County Mental Health Jail Diversion Committee, and serves on the Mental Health Learning Site Committee and Mental Health Cost Simulation Committee. She was awarded the 2006 Ring of Honor by the Mental Health Association in Texas.

Alan R. Isaacson, Seton Shoal Creek Hospital

Alan R. Isaacson is the Vice President/COO of Seton Shoal Creek Hospital, a free standing hospital with the Seton family of hospitals in Austin. He is responsible for the clinical, regulatory, fiscal and operational aspects of the hospital. Mr. Isaacson has many years of experience as an administrator in the health care field, most recently with Family Eldercare and Chartwell Community Services. He regularly participates in community based activities and committees related to mental health. Mr. Isaacson received both a Bachelors in Social Work and a Masters of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin.

Jeanette Kinnard, Travis County Public Defender Office   

Jeanette Kinard is Director of the Travis County Mental Health Public Defender Office. A long-time criminal defense attorney, Jeanette has a Bachelor's Degree from The Univeristy of Texas at Austin and a law degree from the University of Houston. She is a frequent speaker, statewide, on the topic of the mentally ill in the criminal justice system. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Austin Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association and Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association

Jim Lehrman,  The Children's Partnership

Jim Lehrman is Director of The Children's Partnership, a multi-agency collaboration implementing the System of Care best practice model in Travis County, Texas.  Mr. Lehrman has thirty eight years of experience in social work, management and leadership in state social services agency; teaching leadership and management principles to public and private sector employees, in a university setting and developing and implementing county level social services programs.    

Melissa M. Mohlman, Ph.D., Travis County Juvenile Probation Department

Dr. Mohlman is a Licensed Psychologist and currently works at the Travis County Juvenile Probation Department. Dr. Mohlman received her both Doctorate degree and Master's of Science degrees from the University of North Texas. Dr. Mohlman has been working in the mental health field for over ten years and is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. She is a member of the American Psychological Association.

Tara Powell

Tara is currently a first year Ph.D. student at UT school of social work. Before coming to Austin she worked as a social worker in the New Orleans public schools with both students and caregivers affected by trauma and loss.  In addition to her work in New Orleans, she was employed through Save the Children and responded to domestic emergencies such as the wildfires in California, floods in the Mid-west and tornadoes in the South-east.  During these emergencies she worked with youth in emergency shelters and set up post-disaster psychosocial programming in the schools.  Previous to her work in New Orleans, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa.  During her time in Mali, she worked in rural health clinics and promoted women’s health.  She holds a dual masters of Social Work and Public Health from Tulane University in New Orleans and attained her B.A. from University of Iowa.

Selia Servin-Lopez, St. Edward's University

Selia Servin-Lopez is the Assistant Director/ Staff Psychologist /Training Coordinator & Ethics Coordinator of St. Edward's University. She has been instrumental in providing education about mental health concerns to lay people, students, and professionals. Servin-Lopez belongs to the American Psychological Association (APA) of Social Justice Task Force, is an APA HOPE trainer, a Behavioral Social Scientist Volunteer and is involved in helping co-author and develop an adaptation of the HIV/AIDS prevention SISTA training manual for Latinas. She is also a Board member of the Austin Child Guidance Center in Austin and co-chairs the Women's Division in the Texas Psychological Association, and serves as the President of the Latino Psychological Association of Texas.

David Lurie, City of Austin Health and Human Services

David Lurie is Director of the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department. This combined City/County Agency provides public health services, animal services, workforce development, day labor, youth development, child care, and services for the homeless; along with a comprehensive range of contracted community-based health and social services including basic needs, mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment. Lurie has served in various other community health leadership positions including Director of Public Health for Seattle/King County, Commissioner of Health for the City of Minneapolis, Deputy Director of Health and Human Services in Marin County, California, and Mental Health Administrator for Stanislaus County, California.He is President of the Texas Association Local Health Officials and serves on state and national public health committees focusing on health promotion, disease prevention, legislation, tobacco, and emergency preparedness. David is a former President of the U. S. Conference of Local Health Officers.

Clifford Moy, Community Member

Clifford K. Moy, M.D. is Associate Medical Director of the Texas Medicaid and Healthcare Partnership. Dr. Moy was Clinical Director of the Austin State Hospital from 1995-2005. A board-certified psychiatrist, Dr. Moy serves in a variety of professional and community positions. He led quality and performance improvement initiatives in patient care services in the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation and the Department of State Health Services. At Austin State Hospital, he was an integral participant in JCAHO and Medicare accreditation/certification inspections and compliance with the RAJ settlement agreement. Dr. Moy served for six years on the JCAHO Professional and Technical Advisory Committee for Behavioral Health.

An active participant in his professional organizations, Dr. Moy is a Delegate to the American Medical Association House of Delegates and served on the Governing Council of the Minority Affairs Consortium. He served on the American Psychiatric Association's Council on National Affairs. He was appointed to numerous Texas Medical Association groups. Dr. Moy graduated from Trinity University and the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He completed his psychiatric residency at Parkland Hospital/University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Moy currently serves on the Texas Medical Association Council on Medical Education and was an Examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2006.

Debra Murphy, Huston-Tillotson University

Debra L. Murphy, Ph.D., M.P.H., is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Huston-Tillotson University; Advisor for the Psychology Major Area; and Principal Investigator/Director of the HT Health Connection AIDS Awareness/Risk Reduction. Dr. Murphy received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Texas Christian University and a postdoctoral M.P.H. from the Columbia University School of Public Health. She has taught at Columbia University and conducted research with the New York State Division of Substance Abuse Services/Narcotic Drug Research Incorporated in the area of substance abuse and HIV. Her career has expanded to include all areas of racial disparities in health with various state, federal, academic, and private agencies and organizations. She has worked with the American Health Foundation/Harlem Health Connection, the Minority Task Force on AIDS, the Federal Centers for Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention (CSAT and CSAP), and other federal grant project initiatives. Since relocating to Austin, she spearheaded the implementation of the first major in psychology in the history of Huston-Tillotson College, and served as Head of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Huston-Tillotson College prior to the reorganization of the college. Dr. Murphy has continued her work in the areas of racial disparities in HIV/AIDS and other health areas by writing and obtaining a HIV/AIDS awareness and risk reduction grant targeted at the students at HTC.

Nancy T. Neavel

Nancy Neavel moved to Austin in 1998 after many years of working leading and volunteering with non-profits in Baytown and Harris County. She received a master's degree in behavioral science from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. Nancy is an active participant with the CAN Community Council, NAMI, AAHSA, the League of Women Voters and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. She is an agressive advocate for Peoples Community Clinic and the availability of health care for all.

Becky Pastner, St. David's Community Health Foundation

Becky Pastner is a program officer with the St. David's Community Health Foundation in Austin, TX where she oversees the foundation's $2 million investment in mental health programs for low-income Central Texans.
Becky holds a Masters degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin, and a BA in political science from Haverford College in Pennsylvania. Ms. Pastner's academic and professional background has focused on health and social policy and nonprofit management.

Beth Peck, Travis County Healthcare District

Beth Q. Peck, M.A., PMP: Beth Peck has almost 20 years of experience in research and planning. She is currently the Senior Healthcare Planner for the Travis County Healthcare District. Prior to joining the District in June 2007, Ms. Peck spent 11 years as a research analyst with the City of Austin in the Health and Human Services Department and then with Austin Energy. She has also worked in research and planning for a private healthcare company, a local non-profit, and a state agency.

Karen Sage

Karen Sage began her legal carrer an associate at he law firm of  O'Melveny and Myers in Los Angeles.  In 1993 she was appointed Chief  Counsel to the Mayor of Los Angeles.  She began her prosecutorial career in 1998 in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.  Upon moving to Austin in 2006, she became a trial attorney in the 390th District Court.  In addition to her regular felony cases, she was assigned to Judge Julie Kocurek's Support Court -- a specialized docket designed to prevent defendants with mental health issues from violating the terms of their probation.  In January, she was assigned to develop the newly created Mental Health Division of the Travis County District Attorney's Office.  Ms. Sage now focuses her full-time efforts on MHMR cases including the implemental of a new felony mental health court  docket.

Ollie Seay, Texas State University

Ollie J. Seay, Ph.D., Director of the Master of Arts in Health Psychology Program at Texas State University-San Marcos and Private Practitioner, is a Licensed Psychologist and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. She has worked for over thirty years within the Austin community with a primary focus in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Dr. Seay has specialized in forensic evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with multiple disabilities. She is currently on the Boards for the Texas Psychological Association (TPA) where she is President-Elect Designate, Texas Association on Mental Retardation (TAMR), and Capacity FOR JUSTICE. In addition, she serves as Chair of the Legislative and Social Issues Committee for TAMR and as Federal Advocacy Coordinator, Public Policy Committee Chair, Texas State of Mind Co-Chair, and Social Justice Committee member for TPA.

Margaret Shaw, City of Austin Neighborhood Housing Community Development Dept

As Acting Director of the City's Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Office, Margaret Shaw oversees approximately $20 million in annual federal and local funds to create affordable housing and job opportunities for low and moderate-income residents of Austin, Texas. Before returning to the City, Ms. Shaw worked with private developer, Tekoa Partners, creating affordable multifamily rental housing both in Austin and along the Texas-Mexico border. Her experience in the private sector gave her the opportunity to create successful and productive partnerships with area nonprofits to reach deeper levels of affordability. It also highlighted the challenges that developers face in creating and maintaining affordable housing. As a senior aide to HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, she developed a broad perspective on how national housing policy and budgets affect local communities. In her role with the City, Ms. Shaw blends her practical, political and policy expertise to help create and preserve affordability in one of the fastest growing communities in the country.

Eulon Ross Taylor, M.D. Austin State Hospital

Dr. Taylor is the Clinical Director of Austin State Hospital. He is a Psychiatrist who has been involved in public mental health and correctional mental health care delivery for his entire career.

Mike Turner, Austin Police Department

Sergeant Mike Turner is currently the Austin Police Department Crisis Intervention Team Supervisor. An 19-year veteran of the department, Turner has served as Night Shift Patrol Supervisor in the Southwest Austin Sector, served with the Southwest Area Command Detectives, APD Training Academy and the Central East Austin Response Unit. He is a graduate of Sam Houston State University.

Bill Wigmore, Austin Recovery

Bill Wigmore has served in the addiction treatment field for over 30 years. For the past twelve years he has been the Chief Executive Officer of Austin Recovery, one of the largest alcohol & drug treatment centers in central Texas. The non-profit center annually treats nearly 2,500 men and women in its several programs. Under his leadership, the agency has attracted wide community support moving from an exclusively government-funded center toward an affordable treatment alternative for working families seeking help. Austin Recovery is presently engaged in a $5 Million capital campaign and plans to double in size by 2008. Bill has a B.A. from the University of Dayton and has done graduate work at both Columbia University and the University of California. He was recently ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church with a specialized ministry to alcoholics and addicts. Bill has been married to his wife Gerry for 30 years. Gerry teaches special ed and they have three grown children:

OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Kathleen Casey, Austin Travis County Integral Care

Kathleen Casey, M.A. is currently employed at the Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center and a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Casey completed a B.S. with Honors in Psychology from Loyola University in Chicago and a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Xavier University in Cincinnati. She is currently in her final year for completion of an Inter-Disciplinary Ph.D. in Mental Health, which combines a program of study from social work, clinical psychology, and public affairs. Kathleen is a former Program Director with United Nations Children's Fund in Central America and a Senior Research Analyst with the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse. Prior to her being awarded a Fellowship at the Hogg Foundation, Ms. Casey served as a Project Director for the Center for Social Work Research at the University of Texas at Austin where she managed research and evaluation studies for a number of state and federal demonstration projects, including the Children's Partnership and the Texas Integrated Funding Initiative.

Iliana Gilman, Austin Travis County Integral Care

Iliana Gilman is the Director of Communications, where she is responsible for directing the formal communications of the agency and oversees strategic communications initiatives. This includes the management of public, internal and external communications through agency publications, a wide range of media, online communications, consumer reports, and by developing local, regional and state collaborations. Mrs. Gilman's professional background most recently includes working for the Association of Junior League International, Aeropostale, the Texas Association for School Administrators and KLRU in various communication positions. She graduated from the New School University in New York City with a M.A. in media studies and holds a journalism degree from The University of Texas.

Willie G. Williams, City of Austin
Willie G. Williams currently serves as Liaison and Contract Manager for the City of Austin Health and Human Services Department. He has a Master's Degree in Social Psychology, and has multiple other certifications, including licensure as a Chemical Dependency Counselor, Dual Diagnosis certification, and Case Management certification. Mr. Williams has more than twenty years experience in the development, direction and implementation of mental and behavioral health policies and programs to meet the needs of critical target populations, and is skilled in developing strategic business plans, policies and budgets that meet the needs of culturally diverse populations