Alexandria, VA – Mental Health America (MHA) conducted its Annual Delegate Assembly earlier this month and voted in three new national board members. MHA is overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors composed of mental health and business professionals, affiliate leaders, people with lived experience, and advocates for its mission. Board members meet quarterly to direct the strategic objectives and policies of the organization.
Below are brief biographies of the three new members.
Luz Garcini, PhD, MPH
Dr. Garcini is the Director of the Center for Community Health at the Kinder Institute, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, and a faculty scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and epidemiologist, and her research focuses on understanding and addressing the health needs of marginalized communities from a community-engaged approach that is culturally and contextually informed. Dr. Garcini’s commitment to advance community engagement is evident in her track record of publications, presentations, awards received, and funding allocated. Given the relevance of her research to advance policy and advocacy for marginalized communities, her work has received widespread media coverage in avenues such as Univision, Telemundo, CBS, Medical News Today, U.S. News and World Report, MSN, Global News Report, and the Oprah’s Book Club. Her contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion are also evident through her leadership, service and mentoring endeavors. She currently serves as Member-at-Large for the Board of Directors for the American Psychological Association. Also, she is an advocate for increasing diversity in higher education, and she is a graduate from San Diego State University/University of California San Diego.
Mary Jones, LCMFT, LCAC
Mary is the President/CEO of Mental Health America of South Central Kansas and adjunct faculty at Friends University in Wichita, KS. With over 30 years of experience, she has developed community-based programs for individuals with mental illness. Her work includes housing development for people with severe mental illness and seniors, and expanding outpatient treatment programs for therapy, medication services, and substance use disorder treatment. She has also been a key advocate for implementing evidence-based practices to ensure the highest standards of care.
Mary has extensive expertise in accreditation and compliance, guiding organizations through the accreditation process and maintaining adherence to state and federal regulations. Recently, she has focused on policy and advocacy for behavioral health. She serves as President of the Kansas Mental Health Coalition and is a member of the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board.
Mary is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT), Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC), and holds an Approved Supervisor designation from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Her commitment to advancing mental health services continues to shape policy and improve behavioral health support in the region.
Renee Schneider, PhD
Dr. Renee Schneider is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Google, where she works on products and features that impact users’ mental health. She earned an undergraduate degree from UCLA and a doctoral degree from the University of Georgia, before completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Palo Alto VA and Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Schneider is a member of the Technology Education Panel for the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Mental Health Advisory Panel for Strong Minds, a non-profit providing therapy for women with depression in Africa, and the Expert Panel for Understood for All, a non-profit focused on supporting children and adults in the US impacted by learning and thinking differences. Prior to joining the team at Google, Dr. Schneider was the VP of Clinical Quality at Lyra Health, where she conducted research on the efficacy of evidence-based psychotherapy in the real world. Dr. Schneider lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two teen-aged children, and dog.
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About Mental Health America
Mental Health America is the nation’s leading community-driven nonprofit dedicated to promotion of mental health, well-being, and prevention. Mental Health America’s work is driven by its commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of whole person health, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; and integrated care, services and supports for those who need them. Learn more at MHAnational.org.