NAMI Michigan

Michael J. Fitzpatrick is executive director at NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Prior to taking that role in January of 2004, he served both as the director of NAMI's Policy Research Institute and as NAMI's national director of policy. Mr. Fitzpatrick has served on numerous community, government and nonprofit boards and expert panels. He served as the chair of the Campaign for Mental Health Reform as well as the president of the board of the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program in his home state of Maine. Prior to joining NAMI in 1999, Mr. Fitzpatrick held senior management positions in state government, in nonprofit agencies in both the mental health and primary health sectors and in the private sector where he developed successful education, employment, housing, outreach and rehabilitation programs. He also served in the Maine State Legislature where he served as the House Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. Mr. Fitzpatrick earned his M.S.W. from Boston College.

 

Ben Staples is a Consultant for the NAMI Center for Excellence at NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. In this role, Ben provides technical assistance, resources, tools and education needed by NAMI State Organizations and NAMI Affiliates to build organizational capacity and achieve the goals of NAMI Standards of Excellence. Before joining NAMI in June 2005, Ben served as the Executive Director of NAMI North Carolina. In addition, he previously worked as a hospital administrator with responsibility for the clinical psychiatry services at Duke Hospital and Clinics. He has also worked as a consultant with hospitals around the country, served on a number of nonprofit boards and is experienced in strategic planning and board development. A native of North Carolina, Ben has completed a masters of science in rehabilitation counseling at the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and a masters degree in business administration at Seattle Pacific University.

 

Bill Feiser has worked with the homeless and as a substance abuse counselor. He has extensive NAMI experience as a Board member of both NAMI Washtenaw and NAMI Michigan and as an In Our Own Voice presenter. Bill chaired the NAMI Michigan Conference Committee from 2000 to 2008 and is a current Committee participant. Bill is a consumer of mental health services.

 

Leon Judd is currently Vice President of NAMI Michigan Board of Directors and President of NAMI Metro Oakland, Wayne and Macomb Counties. He retired as Vice President of Human Resources from National Steel Corporation after 34 years and most recently retired as President of CARDS Engineering (U.S.), a global IT Services company. Leon led the strategic planning process for NAMI Michigan and has been active in NAMI since 2000. He is a family member and is an active advocate for families and persons diagnosed with a mental illness. Leon also has been active in educating families through Families in Action for the last 11 years.

 

Dr. Kwasky is a family psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Western Michigan University in 1999, her Master of Science in Nursing in 2002 from Wayne State University and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Oakland University in 2007. She is board certified family psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner, board certified clinical specialist in child and adolescent psychiatric and mental health nursing, nurse practitioner, specialty certification, registered professional nurse and crisis prevention institute certified. Andrea is currently an assistant professor at the University of Detroit Mercy, McAuley School of Nursing and an adjunct clinical faculty member at Oakland University School of Nursing. She has clinical experiences at Havenwyck Residential Treatment Center, Circle of Life Hospital, Providence Hospital, Covenant House Michigan, Hawthorn Center, Kingswood Hospital-Henry Ford Health System, Arborview Hospital and Henry Ford Hospital. Andrea has numerous honors and awards and has made many presentations related to mental health.

 

Kathy Marshall is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist. She is currently a full time clinical faculty member at the University of Detroit Mercy, McAuley School of Nursing. Prior to joining the University, she practiced at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and Four Winds Saratoga, in Saratoga, New York.

 

Ingrid Deetz is the Director of Chapter Relations at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Ingrid has been a part of the DBSA team for the past 10 years and has worked in several areas within the organization including website management, program and training development, and conference planning. In her current position, Ingrid serves as a member of the management team and focuses on enhancing the quality and number of DBSA chapters and support groups around the country. She identifies and develops resources that will best assist chapters in serving individuals in their communities as they journey towards recovery. Online support groups, facilitator chats, and online and in-person training for DBSA chapter participants are just a few of the programs that Ingrid directs. In addition, Ingrid serves as DBSA’s project manager for WeSearchTogether, a collaborative project between DBSA and the University of Michigan Depression Center. Ingrid helps train and certify Peer Specialists using DBSA’s nationally-recognized curriculum and is certified nationally as a Mental health First Aid Instructor. Ingrid was diagnosed with major depressive and generalized anxiety disorders in 2000, while a junior at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her personal experiences, combined with her interest in community groups and adult education, led her to DBSA post graduation.

 

Laura McAndrew is the Research Recruitment Coordinator at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center. She graduated with a master’s degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, where she studied Health Behavior and Health Education. She also received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and minored in Gender and Health at the University of Michigan. She has assisted programs at Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organiztion, the U-M Women’s Health Resource Center, and other local and state-level organizations. In collaboration with Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) staff, she designs and implements research activities such as focus groups and surveys to learn more about what people living with mental health conditions think about mental health research. She works with community leaders to design outreach materials to raise awareness of mental health research opportunities. She also collaborates with educational and outreach programs at the University of Michigan to integrate research participation awareness elements and increase their mental health focus.

 

Dana Parker - Mathis is the founder of the non-profit organization, Dig My Roots Foundation. According to Dana, her Foundation bridges the gap between successful treatment of mental illnesses and more viable career options that will provide adequate income and fringe benefits to consumers. A wife and the mother of a 16-year-old son, Dana, diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder, spent almost 20 years struggling with psychotic episodes, racing thoughts, ideas of reference, and panic attacks. Her ability to endure and recover is a testimony for other Peers transitioning into recovery. Dana has a Master of Arts degree in Social Justice from Marygrove College and is a doctoral candidate in Human Services with a specialization in Social Policy Analysis and Planning. Dana is a full-time employee of Gateway Community Health as a Prevention, Education & Outreach Specialist. She also works part-time as an Outreach Specialist with WeSearchTogether, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) and University of Michigan Depression Center Collaborative.

 

Dr. Walker is Professor Emeritus of the Latin American Studies Program at Ohio University where he worked for 38 years. He has a BA in Political Science from Brown University , an MA in Latin American Studies from New Mexico University and a PhD in Political Science from the University of New Mexico. After his son’s diagnosis with schizophrenia, Dr. Walker became active with NAMI Athens, NAMI Ohio and CIT SE Ohio. He also runs a local public radio program on mental illness: http:// www.namiathensohio.org/woub.html.

 

Liz Knisely has been the Bureau Director of Community Mental Health Services with the Department of Community Health, Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Administration for just over 1 year. Liz has over 25 years administration experience serving children/families, persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and person with mental illness and co-occurring disorders. She has worked in emergency services, jail diversion, mental health courts, FQHC’s, and utilization management of 15 psychiatric and crisis residential units. In addition she has consulted with various PIHP’s/CMHSP’s and provided police and sheriff trainings. She possesses an associate’s degree in nursing, a bachelor’s degree in Health Services Administration and is currently enrolled in a Master’s program and the University of Detroit Mercy in Health Services Administration.

 

Lois DeMott is the Administrative Assistant at the Association for Children’s Mental Health and is Co-founder of Citizens for Prison Reform.

 

Arthur L. Malisow (Art) is a Shareholder of MALL MALISOW & COONEY, P.C. in Farmington Hills, Michigan. In addition to being a member of the State Bar of Michigan, he is a nationally Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), certified by the National Elder Law Foundation. Art's practice incorporates a holistic approach providing legal counsel in the primary practice areas of estate planning and administration, eldercare legal planning and advocacy, disability and special needs law, and probate. Art received a BA degree in History from the University of Michigan and a J.D. degree, cum laude, from Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University. Art is a member of the Elder Law and Advocacy Section and the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan. He is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, WealthCounsel and the Michigan Forum of Estate Planning Attorneys. Art teaches continuing education training courses in Estate Planning for Certified Public Accountants, Financial Advisors, Insurance Professionals and Attorneys.

 

Dr. Nisenson is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan for the past 15 years. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Illinois at Champaign – Urbana. Dr. Nisenson completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry, where she worked primarily in cognitive-behavioral therapy with a special interest in treating anxiety disorders.

 

Tai Venuti has more than 20 years of health education, community outreach and public relations experience in nonprofit, government, and corporate arenas. She holds a master’s degree in public health from St. Louis University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University. She is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America.

 

BOB NASSAUER has worked as a consultant and trainer for more than thirty years. He has an extensive track record in strategic planning facilitation, executive coaching, and in developing and delivering customized training conferences. Bob was Manager of Quality Assurance for the Professional Education Division at Arthur Andersen & Co., served as president of Training Partners, Inc. and has been part of the ownership and management group for a beverage company and a specialty foods company. Bob serves as the Board Secretary for NAMI Washtenaw County.

 

Mark Creekmore has worked as a Deputy Director for Spectrum Human Services and is currently the Executive Director of Community Services Systems, Inc., a nonprofit agency for program evaluation. He has helped in NAMI Crisis Intervention Training with police agencies in Washtenaw County and the NAMI Washtenaw Campaign for the Future. Mark has a doctorate in sociology and social work from theUniversity of Michigan and teaches at the university in the School of Social Work and the Department of Psychology.

 

Kurt Scholler, BSEE, MBA For 10 years Kurt has been part of the NAMI Washtenaw FEST program, which has been training and educating hundreds of caregivers since 1998. The program is a collaboration among multiple agencies and provides training to family members of people with severe psychiatric difficulties. Kurt teaches people how to meditate using a variety of approaches that are non-denominational. He has been practicing meditation since 1996 when meditation started with a deep insight that profoundly affected the course of my life. Kurt has been trained by leading meditation teachers in Zen, Samatha, and Vipassana techniques (which all include mindfulness). Kurt graduated from The Coaches Training Institute in order to provide more personalized training and coaching for caregivers and others. Since 1987, Kurt has founded a number of companies and helped manage an entrepreneurial venture to Inc. 500 level. He has been a global account manager for multi-million dollar Fortune 1000 industrial accounts, raising venture capital, hiring and managing teams, etc. Kurt has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

 

Ron Teachworth is first Vice President and Chair of Communications for NAMI Metro, serving the Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb Counties. Mr. Teachworth worked in K-12 education as a high school teacher before moving into administration. Upon retiring from public education, Mr. Teachworth was an adjunct professor at Oakland Community College and is a facilitator in NAMI Metro’s Families in Action Program.

 

Jilia Teachworth is a certified speech and language pathologist/learning disabilities teacher who has worked with emotionally disturbed children and adolescents throughout her career. She has two master’s degrees and currently is obtaining a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. She is also a private mental health advocate for recipient’s rights.

 

Travis Atkinson is the program director at the Hope Network Pivot Crisis Center in Grand Rapids, MI. He earned his BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan and his MS in Human Services from National-Louis University.

 

Lara Class is a Certified Peer Support Specialist at Hope Network Pivot Crisis Center in Grand Rapids, MI. She received her BSW degree from Northern Michigan University and has been in recovery for three years.

 

Dr. Rosen is the Medical Director of Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority and Medical Director of Behavioral Services at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital. Dr. Rosen received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Iowa, College of Medicine. Dr. Rosen is a teacher and a psychiatric practitioner. He is a faculty member at Michigan State University and Wayne State University. He did his post graduate training at Sinai Hospital of Detroit.

 

Norm DeLisle is the CEO of the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition. He has worked in the disability community in a wide variety of positions for over 40 years. He has worked at Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services, in schools and medical clinics, and with substance abuse programs. He also has been a member of the disability community since adolescence. His educational background is in psychology with graduate work in developmental learning and Montessori.

 

Steve Wiland is a Licensed Master’s Social Worker (LMSW) and Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ICADC) currently serving as Manager of the community Mental Health Service Innovation and Consultation Section of the State of Michigan’s Department of Community Health. In that role, Steve oversees statewide service development and implementation in several evidence-based practice areas, including Integrated Dual Disorders Treatment (IDDT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Interviewing.

 

Dr. Riebschleger is an Associate Professor with a joint appointment between the MSU School of Social Work and the MSU AgBioResearch. She earned her Master’s in Social Work from Michigan State University and her PhD from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.

 

Keith Barber obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University, interning with the Office of the Legislative Corrections Ombudsman in his last term. Subsequently, he was employed as a field investigator for the Legislative Corrections Ombudsman upon graduation, as appointed Chief Investigator in 2003 and Ombudsman in 2008.

 

Amy R. Tripp, JD, is the former Chair of the Elder Law and Disability Rights Section of the Michigan State Bar. She is the author of the Chapter on Special Needs Planning which appears in ICLE’s (Institute for Continuing Legal Education) Advising the Older Client or Client with a Disability. Ms. Tripp is also a frequent speaker on issues of Elder Law and Special Needs. She is a member of the prestigious Special Needs Alliance as well as the Academy of Special Needs Planners and continues to be an active member of the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the Michigan State Bar and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Ms. Tripp has been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers Magazine each year since 2008. In 2009, Amy received the Nadene Mitcham Courage and Heart Award from Michigan Campaign for Quality Care.

 

Larry Ackerman is the Office/Consumer Programs Coordinator for NAMI Michigan, serving Michigan Affiliates, families, and consumers since June 2007. Previously, he was Group Development Specialist for the National Schizophrenia Foundation from 1999 to 2007 and Innkeeper/Shelter Supervisor for the Volunteers of America Men’s Emergency Shelter and Men’s Alcohol Rehabilitation and Work Programs from 1985 to 1988. Larry has a BA in Communication and Journalism from the Ohio State University and has done master’s level work in Pastoral Care Studies in Alcohol and Drug Addiction Ministry at Methodist Theological School in Ohio.

 

Dr. Robertson is the Program Manager for the Depression Care Initiative in Primary Care for the Henry Ford Medical Group. She is a licensed Clinical Psychologist who completed her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Western Michigan University. Dr. Robertson completed her doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Behavioral Health Services, at Henry Ford Health system where she has worked the past 15 years.

 

Pam Milan is the Program Manager for the Diabetes Care Center at Henry Ford Health System. She is a registered dietician and certified diabetes educator with over 20 years experience. Pam oversees the operation of three accredited diabetes programs: Diabetes Self Management Education, Diabetes in Active Control (intensive coaching for patients with poorly controlled diabetes), and Medical Nutritional Therapy.

  

Dr. O’Dwyer is the clinical director of Brookfield Clinics, Inc. in Garden City. A certified addictions counselor II, Dr. O’Dwyer has been in clinical practice since 1982 and specializes in treating persons with addictive disorders and general mental health issues. While he chiefly treats adults, he also sees adolescents. He is an adjunct professor of counseling at Oakland University and has served as a visiting lecturer in the department of counseling at Eastern Michigan University, as a lecturer in the department of counseling at Oakland University, and as a chemical dependency therapist in a variety of organizations. Dr. O’Dwyer also provides consultation and training to national, state, and local organizations.

 

Dr. O’Dwyer received his master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Detroit and his doctoral degree in counseling from Wayne State University. Further, Dr. O’Dwyer did graduate studies in social work at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.

 

Raymie Postema, Field Manager for DCH Office of Recipient Rights, has been supervising recipient rights staff at the state operated hospitals and centers since 2005. She has over 20 years in recipient rights in state and community settings. Ms. Postema has been working closely with a nationwide collaborative on trauma informed care since November of 2009 to bring practices to Michigan that reduce the need for coercive interventions.

 

Dianne Baker, Deputy Director of Operations for DCH Office of Recipient Rights, has been with the Office since 1992 and has over 25 years experience in recipient rights. Dianne was instrumental initiating the strategic plan that launched the Steering Committee that brought together the Office of Recipient Rights and the Bureau of Hospitals and Centers in a common goal to reduce/eliminate the use of restraint/seclusion through the use of Trauma Informed Care.

 

Norris Howard, RN, MSN, Certified Crisis Prevention Trainer, is a graduate of the University of Phoenix Masters of Science Degree in Nursing, is a veteran of Desert Storm, and is the Division Manager for Re-Entry at Detroit Central City Community Mental Health, Inc., Second Change and Operation Get Down, supervising the Early Release, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Michigan Correction Outreach Intensive Treatment (MCOIT) and Michigan Prison Release Initiative (MPRI) programs.

 

Alvin B. Michaels, M.D., is a board certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist. He is the medical advisor of DBSA Metro Detroit. In addition to his private practice of psychiatry in Bingham Farms, Dr. Michaels is also on staff at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Dr. Michaels has been an examiner for the American Board of Psychiatry and is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Wayne State University in Detroit, an adjunct instructor at the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry, an assistant clinical professor at the new Oakland University William Beaumont Medical School, a supervisor of practicing psychotherapists, and a consultant to local school districts. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Life Fellow of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Michaels has also contributed informative articles tolocal newspapers and newsletters of various mental health organizations. Dr. Michaels also volunteershis time to write the “Ask the Doctor” column for the DBSA Metro Detroit newsletter, Life in Balance, and speaks at NAMI Metro’s “Families in Action” family education programs along with various other community activities. In 2010, Dr. Michaels received the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).