Courtenay recently retired as a professor of psychiatry for the past 38 years. She was trained at the University of Vermont and Yale and worked last in the Department of Psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia. She simultaneously retired as director of the Center for Rehabilitation and Recovery at the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies in New York City which serves 130 agencies caring for 350,000 people. Courtenay moved to New York from Boston where she was the Senior Director of Boston University's well-known Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation under William Anthony.   Among her research endeavors, she participated in two three-decade NIMH studies of schizophrenia and other serious illnesses and found that many once profoundly disabled persons could and did significantly improve and/ or even fully recover. Her study in Vermont is now considered a "classic" in community psychiatry. These findings, similar to nine other long-term studies from across the world, helped to create the Institute for the Study of Human Resilience in order to investigate ways in which people reclaimed their lives including getting back to work. To date, Courtenay has received 52 federal, state, and foundation grants and contracts for schizophrenia research and studies of mental health services. She has been the recipient of over 45 awards and honors including the Alexander Gralnick Research Investigator Award from the American Psychological Association's Foundation for "exceptional contributions to the study of schizophrenia and other serious mental illness and for mentoring a new generation of researchers'.  Courtenay has published nearly 100 papers about schizophrenia, rehabilitation, and recovery and has presented findings from her studies and clinical work in over 550 state, national, and international meetings. She has worked with 30 states, Australia, New Zealand, 11 European, and 9 Asian countries including China, to redesign their systems of care.  She was recently married and now lives in Virginia. Courtenay established  Integrated Health Outcomes, a consulting organization providing staff training, program evaluation and policy implementation in Virginia.

In an effort to uncover the biochemical basis of mental illness, Dan obtained a PhD and carried out neurochemical research at NIMH. However, during that research, at the age of 25, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and hospitalized on 3 occasions. During the next 5 years, he recovered from schizophrenia, and dreamt of humanizing the mental health system. To fulfill that dream, Dan earned an MD and completed psychiatric training at Harvard Medical School. He has practiced as a board-certified, community psychiatrist for 30 years. To transform national policies, he founded the National Empowerment Center, was a member of the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (2002-03) and has helped organize the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery. To non-coercively assist person in crisis, Dan has worked to create peer-run crisis respites and developed emotionalCPR, a program for teaching all community members how to provide trauma-informed care to others who have experienced trauma.

Dave is a partner with the law firm of Kenlan, Schwiebert, Facey & Goss, P.C. in Rutland, Vermont. He has been with the firm since 2003 and is part of its commercial, land use, and utility law practice groups. His primary practice is in the area of state and local land use permitting, nonprofit and 501(c)(3) law, and telecommunications law. Prior to coming to the firm, Dave worked for several years at Choate, Hall & Stewart in Boston. Dave received his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law, with honors, and his B.A. in Philosophy from Pomona College in Claremont, California. Dave is a student of Goju Ryu Karate Do and enjoys woodworking and guitar. He currently resides in Rutland with his wife, Heather, and two children. Dave can be reached at dcooper@kenlanlaw.com or (802) 665-2702.

David is a professor of psychiatry at Cardiff University in Wales and a former secretary of the British Psychopharmacology Association. He is generally considered one of the premier scholars of the psychopharmacology era and has written more about "medication optimization" (one of FEMHC's principal focuses) than any other psychiatrist in the world.

Dennis is the Vice President in charge of national marketing and development operations at the Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care.  He has over thirty years experience in the not-for-profit fundraising field and 20 years experience as a consultant for other national firms. His skills include campaign management, marketing, public relations, strategic and long range planning counsel, major gift negotiation and volunteer recruitment.  Over his long career, Dennis has worked as the National Director of Fundraising for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Vice President of Campaign for the United Way of Southeastern Michigan and the Director of Development for Children’s Hospital of Michigan. He has successfully managed numerous multimillion dollar capital, endowment and annual operating projects, raising over $500 million.  He has worked with major hospitals, educational institutions, national health agencies, social service, arts and cultural institutions throughout the United States.  
Dennis can be reached at dennis@femhc.org or (248) 506-3030.

Don is a retired Actuary having completed his career managing life and property insurance subsidiaries of major financial service companies.  For the past 10 years, he has formed and built with his wife and many wonderful staff CooperRiis, Inc., a non-profit healing community that works with people suffering from a major mental illness and (often) substance abuse.  CooperRiis currently has 100 residents under care, 150 FTE staff, a $10 million annual budget, $25 million in assets, and no debt.

Fran is Director of the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL), which he founded in 2003. IIMHL is jointly funded by seven countries, including the United States, to build partnerships between mental health leaders in order to rapidly exchange knowledge of best and promising practices internationally. Before his work with IIMHL, Fran was CEO of Monadnock Family Services (MFS) in Keene, NH, for 10 years. In this role he looked internationally to identify, and then replicate, innovative services that promote recovery and social inclusion for long term consumers of mental health services. Such services have included the Wyman Way Cooperative, an independent, non-profit corporation managed and operated by long-term consumers of mental health services (based on an Italian model), and the Elm City Cooperative, where consumers own their own homes. Fran also led the development of Monadnock Partnership; a region-wide, integrated service linking health care, social services and economic development.

Gina is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care and an Associate Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at Oregon Health and Sciences University.   She formerly served as the Executive Director of the Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs for 11 years and has worked extensively in mental health and addictions policy, leadership and management, health care financing and political advocacy.  Gina has also been a Tillamook County Commissioner serving as Vice-President of the Association of Oregon Counties.  As a former Community Mental Health Therapist, Adolescent Program Director and Clinical Supervisor, she gained experience in all aspects of community mental health including prevention (she ran a teen theatre program), civil commitment, compliance review, and crisis management.  Gina also spent 25 years as a dance teacher and choreographer.  

Gina can be reached at gina@femhc.org or (503) 930-0349.

Jessica is responsible for website design and management, marketing and media development, and coordination of information technology for Foundation programs. Jessica formerly served at the Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs for five years. Prior to that, she served as legislative staff at the Oregon State Capitol during the 2003 session, followed by three years at the Office for Oregon Health Policy & Research. Jessica found her passion for improving standards for mental health care just out of college during her two-year tenure as an employee of a community psychiatric crisis system.  Jessica lives in Salem, Oregon and in her spare time enjoys wilderness backpacking with her two rescue dogs.  She can be reached at jessica@femhc.org or (503) 515-6884.

Larry has, for the past twenty years, worked on Wall Street as an attorney specializing in complex financial and capital market products.  He also has served as the President of the Board of Directors of Gould Farm, a residential therapeutic community dedicated to helping adults with mental illness move toward recovery, health and greater independence through community living, meaningful work and individual clinical care.  Larry is presently on the Board of Directors of Gould Farm and is a member of both the Finance and Governance Committees.

Louisa is a psychotherapist in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Patty is the Administrative Manager for the Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care. Patty formerly served as the Administrative Manager for Jefferson Behavioral Health, a mental healthcare organization in Southern Oregon, for five years. She has over 12 years experience in human resources and also has experience in contract management, risk management, office management and meeting coordination. Patty lives in Oregon City, OR and enjoys spending her free time with her husband and son. Patty can be reached at patty@femhc.org or (541) 291-0650. 

Bob has over 40 years of experience working at all levels of the mental health and chemical dependency field, from case manager and alcohol/drug counselor to supervisory and management responsibilities.  He was Oregon's commissioner for mental health and addiction services from 2003 to 2008 and is part-time Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon.  Bob has published in the national peer-reviewed literature on consumer-operated case management services, dual diagnosis, supported education in a state hospital setting, and other related topics.  In addition to the Foundation board, he also serves on the boards of the Oregon State Hospital Museum and Dual Diagnosis Anonymous of Oregon.

Sandra is the Medical Director at HowardCenter, a community mental health center in Burlington, Vermont where she has worked for the past 17 years.  She is also Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University Of Vermont College of Medicine.  For over 20 years, her clinical practice has primarily included patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses.   She was named to Best Doctors in America in 2003. She currently writes a blog called Anatomy of a Psychiatrist on the website www.madinamerica.com.

As founding Executive Director of the CooperRiis Healing Community, Virgil began his mental health career in 1975 at Gould Farm, America's oldest therapeutic community.  He was the founding Program Director of Gould Farm's Boston Program. Later, he was also the founding Executive Director of two other therapeutic communities; Rose Hill in Michigan and Gateway Homes in Richmond, Virginia.  His past roles also include being founding President of the REACH Community Health Foundation, Vice President of Planning and Development for Northern Berkshire Health Systems, President of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Senior Vice President of Legacy Banks, and Adjunct Professor of Philanthropy for the Visionaries Institute of Suffolk University.  He has served on 10 nonprofit Boards, 6 of which were for new community health organizations.

Email: virgil@femhc.org

Bill served as the founding Director of Boston University's Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, beginning in 1979 until his retirement from that position in June, 2011. He is now Professor Emeritus in the College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Boston University. Bill is recognized as a major leader in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery.  For the past 40 years, Bill has worked in various roles in the field of mental health and psychiatric rehabilitation, and has been honored for his performance as a researcher, an educator, and a clinician. In 1988, Bill received the Distinguished Services Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in recognition of "...his efforts that challenge outdated ideas which limit the potential of mentally ill people. The innovative programs created through Bill Anthony's leadership offer hope and opportunity". Bill has appeared on ABC's Nightline, which featured a rehabilitation program developed and implemented by Boston University's Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Ted Koppell characterized it as a model program: "a small beacon of sanity in dealing with the problems of those whose sanity has crumbled";  In 1992, Bill received the Distinguished Service Award from the President of the United States for his efforts "...in promoting the dignity, equality, independence and employment of people with disabilities".  Bill has authored over 100 articles in professional journals, 18 textbooks, and several dozen book chapters. His latest professional books were published in 2002, 2008 & 2011. A completely updated and revised second edition of Psychiatric Rehabilitation was published in 2002. In 2008, the Toward a Vision of Recovery (book & cd) was published. Also in 2008 Principled Leadership was co-authored with Kevin Huckshorn, and in 2011 Readings in Psychiatric Rehabilitation was co-edited with Kathy Furlong Norman .  In a departure from his professional writing, Bill has written two trade books. They are: The Art of Napping and The Art of Napping at Work. These books are a whimsical, light-hearted look at a skill that does merit serious attention -- especially in our sleep-deprived, 'nap-ready' culture. He has discussed napping on numerous TV and radio shows, including the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox, The Osgood File, and the BBC; the Art of Napping and The Art of Napping at Work have been featured in numerous print media, such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times, the London Daily Express, and dozens of local newspapers and national magazines.  Bill lives in Reading, Massachusetts, is married and has three daughters and six grandchildren.

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