I am currently the Director of the Oregon Center of Excellence for Assertive Community Treatment (OCEACT) and the Director of Research and Evaluation for Options for Southern Oregon.

Prior to joining Options, I was a mental health services researcher at the Regional Research Institute at Portland State University and in my last five years there also served as Assistant Director.

My primary areas of research included the effectiveness of Assertive Community Treatment, Supported Employment, Mental Health Courts and the peer providers of mental health services.

I have an MS in Medical Sociology from Rutgers University and over 20 years of experience in the mental health field. Another passion of mine is creating artwork. In fact, one of my powerful Personal Medicine's is art making because it is the one thing that makes me feel most free and brings meaning to my life. I love to find out the hidden talents in others. Our society often segments us into parts, our mental health separate from physical health, work role and identity separate from family roles. Yet we are all holistic beings with a wide variety of talents, skills, knowledge that should be integrated and celebrated. Let your passion shine through in all you do.