©2009 Association For Behavioral Healthcare. All Rights Reserved.
Staff
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Vic DiGravio President/CEO 508.647.8385, x11 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
| Vic DiGravio has been President/CEO of ABH since July 1, 2007. Under his leadership, ABH is a leader in addressing public policy and financing issues impacting behavioral healthcare services in Massachusetts. ABH and Vic played leading roles in the Campaign to Strengthen Human Services which resulted in enactment of Chapter 257 of the Acts of 2008 and the Campaign for Addiction Prevention, Treatment and Recovery which led the successful fight to repeal the sales tax exemption on alcohol sold in stores. Soon after becoming President/CEO, Vic, in partnership with the Board of Directors, led an effort to rebrand the organization to better position it as the preeminent association representing community-based mental health and substance abuse treatment organizations.
Vic is a graduate of Connecticut College and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and has extensive experience in governmental affairs and the not-for-profit sector. Prior to joining ABH in 2006, he served for six years as Chief of Staff to Massachusetts Senate Majority Leader Frederick Berry. In this leadership role, he directed all staff work on legislative, media and constituent matters and served as liaison to state and local officials. Vic worked on the passage of Massachusetts’ Mental Health Parity law and increased funding for Early Intervention services as Chief of Staff to Senator Berry. |
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Sara Hartman Vice President, Mental Health 508.647.8385, x13 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
| Sara Hartman, LICSW, currently serves as Vice President of Mental Health for ABH. Although her focus is primarily mental health, her experience includes substance abuse issues as well. Sara provides staff support for the Community-Based Flexible Supports (CBFS) Committee, Methadone Treatment Providers Committee, Billing, Rules, Regulations & Policy Committee, the Managed Care Committee and the PACT providers. She is the primary staff person responsible for overall managed care issues. Trained as a Clinical Social Worker, Sara practiced in public and private mental health and child guidance clinics for 10 years and managed Mental Health Programs for Bay State Health Care – a large Massachusetts HMO – from 1985-1993. Subsequently, she managed the Boston Region provider network for Mental Health Management of America (MHMA) in the first Medicaid carve-out contract. Sara came to ABH in 1998, one year prior to its merger with the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (ADAA). | |
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Constance Peters Vice President, Substance Abuse 508.647.8385, x15 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
| Constance Peters, MSPA, is ABH’s Vice President of Substance Abuse and is ABH's primary representative for community-based provider organizations that deliver services to people with substance-use disorders. She represents ABH members with state and national agencies, administration officials, the state legislature and Congressional delegation. Connie serves as staff to the ABH committees on Acute Treatment Services (ATS), Clinical Support Services (CSS), Transitional Support Services (TSS), Residential Recovery, Driver Alcohol Education (DAE)/Second Offender Aftercare (SOA), Structured Outpatient Addiction Treatment (SOAP), Psychiatric Day Treatment and Partial Hospitalization (PDT/PH) and the ABH/Bureau of Substance Abuse Services Executive Team. In addition, Connie is a member of the Executive Team on the Board of Directors for the State Associations for Addiction Services and is a member of its Public Policy Committee and Practice Committee. Connie possesses over 20 years of experience working with state and federally funded programs for people with mental health and substance use disorders and other disabilities. She holds a Master of Science in Public Affairs degree from the John W. McCormack Institute at the University of Massachusetts in Boston and a Bachelor's degree from Wheaton College in Norton. | |
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Stephanie Hirst Vice President for Public Policy and Research 508.647.8385, x14 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
| Stephanie Hirst, MSPA, currently serves as ABH’s Vice President for Public Policy and Research. Stephanie directs state and federal legislative activities, including the development of policy and advocacy strategies. In this role, Stephanie conducts policy, regulatory and budgetary analyses, writes legislative and regulatory testimony and prepares briefing materials, action alerts, and updates for members and staff. She also works in collaboration with national provider associations on federal legislative issues and advocates for behavioral health policy, legislative and budgetary issues with Congressional staff. She has primary responsibility for elder behavioral health policy as well as health care reform policy within ABH and represents ABH on health access coalitions. Stephanie staffs the Quality and Outcomes Committee and the Human Resources Committee. She also produces ABH’s electronic newsletter and provides staff support to the ABH Board of Directors. Prior to working at ABH, Stephanie served as a Legislative Assistant in the Government Affairs Department at a national law firm and as Special Assistant to the Chief Counsel in the office of the Speaker of the Massachusetts House. She graduated magna cum laude from Colby College with a Bachelor of Arts in Government in 2003 and received her Master’s of Science in Public Affairs from the McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies at the University of Massachusetts at Boston in 2007. | |
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Jessica Kirkpatrick Director, Special Initiatives 508.647.8385, x16 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
| Jessica Kirkpatrick is ABH’s Director of Special Initiatives. She is responsible for planning and executing all ABH sponsored events including the Annual Provider Celebration, association meetings and the annual meeting. Jessica is the Membership Coordinator and serves as the primary point of contact for prospective members. She also assists with the preparation of public policy briefing materials, newsletters, annual reports and other updates for ABH members. Jessica will be taking the lead on CBHI and other children services and serves as staff to the ABH Children’s Committee and In-Home Therapy Committee. She holds an MSW degree from Boston University and she served as a researcher at the Boston University’s School of Social Work. Prior to joining ABH, Jessica worked for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and was the Program Coordinator for Families First Parenting Programs in Cambridge. | |
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Ellen Caliendo Business Manager T 508.380.9887 F 508.650.4095 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
| Ellen Caliendo joined ABH in June 2004 as a business consultant and has been instrumental to helping the organization restructure its accounting, payroll and information technology system. With 20 years of experience in business operations and financial management, her current responsibilities include bookkeeping, membership billing and managing all major aspects of ABH’s business office. Ellen's past experience includes developing and serving as director for a $15 million sales organization for 10 years. | |
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Rosemary Santini Administrative Assistant 508.647.8385, x10 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
| Rosemary Santini currently supports the ABH staff as the organization’s Administrative Assistant. Rosemary is responsible for database maintenance, membership mailings and coordinating meetings for staff. Prior to joining ABH, she has held various administrative positions in local companies. | |
