Dr. America Paredes (she/her/ella) is MHA’s Chief Social Impact Officer. America leads the implementation of MHA’s forward-thinking equity-focused approach to change by creating innovative partnership strategies using a social impact and systems transformation framework – with a goal to to advance MHA’s work through measurable change, collective action, and community engagement. As an experienced change-maker, Dr. Paredes uses her more than 20 years of experience within the mental health field to support MHA’s programmatic, public engagement, and community awareness efforts. Her experience as a bilingual mental health professional has varied, including federal grant program oversight and technical assistance, organizational capacity building, cultural humility training, community development, community engagement and outreach strategies, digital marketing strategies, and direct-service and community-based support with adolescents and families. Dr. Paredes earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from George Mason University, a Master of Counseling, and a Doctor of Philosophy in human services from Capella University.

B. Burke (he/they) is the Public Education Content Manager at Mental Health America (MHA). Burke writes content about mental health-related topics for the MHA website and also translates content into Spanish. Burke holds a Master’s of Education degree from Boston College, focusing on Elementary Education, Philosophy, and Latin American Studies.

As a multiply neurodivergent, transgender person, Burke uses their lived experience at the intersection of these identities to help inform their work. Their own experience living with multiple mental health conditions and their previous work as an educator drives their passion for making a contribution in this field. They are excited by the opportunity to learn and grow each day as a part of the MHA team.

Burke lives with his partner in Boston, MA and spends his free time running, painting, cooking, and enjoying a good book.

Barbara Johnston is the Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey (MHANJ).

Barb has worked in healthcare for more than 25 years in many diverse positions. Beginning her career in mental health, she worked in programs for deinstitutionalization, addictions, inpatient, and crisis ER. Upon joining a pharmaceutical company, she started their Employee Assistance Program and managed their Career Centers. Over the next two decades, she managed projects through the research and development process; worked in public policy, state and federal government affairs, reimbursement and payer markets (prisons, managed care and long term care) and marketed specialty care products.

Barb chairs the NJ Mental Health Coalition and serves as on the board of trustees for Community Health Law Project (CHLP) and Collaborative Support Programs (CSP-NJ). Along with the Government Affairs team, she is responsible for the legislative activities, policy and advocacy for MHANJ.Barbara Johnston is the Director of Advocacy and Policy for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey (MHANJ).

Barb has worked in healthcare for more than 25 years in many diverse positions. Beginning her career in mental health, she worked in programs for deinstitutionalization, addictions, inpatient, and crisis ER. Upon joining a pharmaceutical company, she started their Employee Assistance Program and managed their Career Centers. Over the next two decades, she managed projects through the research and development process. She also worked in public policy; state and federal government affairs; reimbursement and payer markets (prisons, managed care and long term care) and marketed specialty care products.

Along with the Government Affairs team, she is responsible for the legislative activities, policy and advocacy for the MHANJ.

Ben Harrington is the CEO of the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee and has held this position since 1994.

Mr. Harrington is actively involved in advocacy matters at the local, state and national policy levels as well, having served on or chaired numerous boards, including the Tennessee Mental Health Planning & Policy Council & Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network.

He has testified before numerous state legislative and Federal panels. His leadership was instrumental in the Tennessee Medicaid formulary modernization in 1998, which allowed patients immediate access to state of the art, standard of care anti-depressants and atypical antipsychotic medications.  He was also involved in the creation of the Behavioral Health Safety Net for uninsured Tennesseans in 2005 and leveraging funding for uninsured crisis services in 2008. In 2009, after years of Harrington’s advocacy at the state planning level, the state opened 6 new Crisis Stabilization Units to divert patients from unnecessary hospitalization to community based care.

The state of Tennessee closed its state hospital in Knoxville, TN.  Instead of recycling the funds elsewhere within the state budget, Harrington and other advocates secured policy maker commitment to reinvest 100% of the hospital funding ($20.5M) in mental health and addiction treatment services in East Tennessee. This reinvestment has resulted in more than a five-fold increase in numbers of people served in outpatient, inpatient, crisis services, diversion programs and peer and recovery services than were previously served by the hospital in its final year of operations.

Additionally, Harrington’s efforts have resulted in millions of dollars in budget reduction restorations over the years in Tennessee. These include restoration of Medicaid services such as Case Management funding ($35M) in 2015, annual restoration of Peer Support Center funding (using one-time funds) & eventual reclassification to recurring funding for long term preservation in the TDMHSAS budget. Current efforts in Tennessee include expanding addiction treatment access, sustaining mental health services, expanding crisis services and targeting resources toward treatment instead of incarceration of persons with mental health and addictions.

Under Harrington’s leadership and focus on early intervention, the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee has received numerous awards including the American Psychiatric Association – Psychiatric Achievement Award for Mental Health 101, TOP 25 Screening Site recognition by Screening for Mental Health in 2014, 2015 & 2016, and the Home Federal Bank Health Care Hero Award to CPRS staff Tina Wilder & the Peer Recovery Call Center.

Ben Harrington has been honored by the United Way of Greater Knoxville with the Wayne Murdoch CEO of the Year Award and in August 2010 he received the Health Care Heroes Award for Community Service presented by the Greater Knoxville Business Journal in recognition of the Mental Health 101 and Mental Health Matters in the Workplace programs.

He earned a BA in History in 1982 from Heidelberg University and his MA Ed in Education Counseling in 1984 from Bowling Green State University. He is married to Norma Harrington and together they have two sons, Donovan & Jackson and two dogs, Baxter Bugtussel & Lady Violet.

Caren Howard (she/her) currently serves as the Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy for Mental Health America and has 13 years’ experience in congressional and political affairs, and advocacy.

Howard advises policy priorities and strategy for Mental Health America (MHA) on a wide range of issues including in health care, education, and criminal justice; facilitates relationship-building between MHA affiliates and federal and state officials through MHA’s Back Home Campaign and Hill Day programs; and manages four yearly conferences for MHA’s Regional Policy Council. Her influence on federal and state policymakers is apparent through direct connections with legislative offices as well as her ability to mobilize grassroots action. Her commitment to mental health advocacy stems from her personal lived experience and noticing the contrasting ease and difficulty between getting treatment in the U.S. for a sprained ankle versus an invisible wound.

Howard joined MHA in January 2017 after serving as a leading fundraiser for several members of the House of Representatives. Her Capitol Hill reach also extends closer to home as she spent five years at the U.S. Capitol on behalf of her hometown representative, Congressman John P. Sarbanes of Baltimore, Maryland and House Majority Leader Congressman Steny H. Hoyer of Southern Maryland. She worked with a very successful coordinated campaign in New Mexico during the 2008 election cycle which helped place Barak H. Obama as its 44th President.

Howard earned a B.A. in Political Science at Spelman College, the nation’s top ranked Historically Black College. She resides in Takoma Park, Maryland and continues involvement in her hometown community affairs in Columbia, Maryland where her parents live. Caren identifies as a person with lived experience of a mental health condition and loves to spend free time doing creative arts and playing with her spunky Pomeranian-chihuahua.

Leadership positions:

• RemixEducation, Inc Advisory Board Member
• Florida Mental Health Advocacy Coalition Board Member
• NASEM Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Committee Member
• IMI Subcommittee on Adolescent and Child Health Member

Email Caren: choward@mhanational.org

Catherine joined the Mental Health America team in 2017. She assists with the Annual Conference, marketing requests, social media, web content, and other communications inquiries. Catherine also works in the Public Education department on major campaigns such as May is Mental Health Month and Back To School and assists with graphic design work.

She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama, where she studied psychology, addiction and recovery, and human development. Catherine’s lived experience fuels her passion for mental health advocacy in both her personal and professional life.

Email Catherine: creynolds@mhanational.org

Danielle Fritze serves as Vice President of Public Education and Design for Mental Health America.  In this capacity, Danielle oversees MHA’s public education efforts, leads development of the annual May is Mental Health Month and Back to School campaigns, and provides graphic design services for the organization.  Her past work during her 12+ year tenure at MHA has included duties for the Affiliate Relations, Media, and Development departments. She is a person with lived experience and also a family member, making mental health an area of personal interest. A graduate of University of Maryland, College Park, Danielle holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Sociology and Criminology/Criminal Justice.

Email Danielle: dfritze@mhanational.org

Debbie F. Plotnick, MSS, MLSP is the Executive Vice President for State and Federal Advocacy at Mental Health America (MHA). Debbie is recognized as a national thought leader contributing expertise on a wide range of topics in behavioral health to local, state and federal policymakers, works with national legislator groups as topic expert, serves on task forces, provides background for investigative reporting, and is regularly interviewed by the media.

In her role at Mental Health America, Debbie provides leadership for grassroots and legislative advocacy across the MHA affiliate network and to national legislator groups. She coordinates the efforts of the Regional Policy Council (RPC), which focuses on state-level initiatives for equal access to behavioral health care, a full continuum of treatment and services, criminal justice diversion, and the value of prevention and early intervention. Her most recent projects include working with the firearm-owning community to promote mental health screening and training in suicide prevention for adolescents and adults.

Debbie holds three degrees from Bryn Mawr College: an AB in political science; dual master’s degrees in Social Service (MSS) and Law and Social Policy (MLSP). Informing her perspective and her passion, are the people she works with and for, her own lived experience with depression, as a family member to those with mental health challenges, and her dedication to mental health systems advocacy.

Email Debbie: dplotnick@mhanational.org

Edward Schmit is the Vice President of Digital Marketing. He is responsible for building and executing multi-channel marketing strategies and operational plans to increase brand awareness, differentiation, and engagement for Mental Health America.

In 2017, Edward leveraged his background in creative direction and design to co-found IDONTMIND, a mental health awareness campaign with a mission to inspire open conversations about mental health and to provide free resources, education, and encouragement for anyone who needs it.

Formerly the creative director of a New York entertainment and PR agency, Edward has worked with best-in-class brands including Google, Showtime, Starbucks, Icelandic Provisions, Maybelline, and more.

Elisha Coffey is the Vice President of States’ Advocacy at Mental Health America. Her work includes nurturing relationships with Mental Health America affiliates, generating leading-edge learning opportunities for the attendees of Regional Policy Council meetings, and creating policy advocacy opportunities for affiliates.

Elisha holds an MSW from Temple University and is a certified peer specialist. Her systems advocate work for Valley Youth House resulted in the first youth-focused point-in-time count of youth experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia and city funding for more shelter beds dedicated to young adults.

Her time as a policy advocate with MHA affiliate Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania (currently Mental Health Partnerships) solidified her determination to center the voices of individuals with lived experience.

While working for CASA Youth Advocates as their advocacy coalition director, Elisha led a coalition of service providers focused on increasing child well-being through systems change.

Elisha is excited to utilize the skills and attitudes she has learned through her past advocacy work to support mental health advocates nationally.

Genevieve is the Executive Office Coordinator at Mental Health America (MHA), supporting MHA’s senior team and Board of Directors. She is responsible for managing the day-to-day tasks of the senior leaders, and helps coordinate and organize their work across departments. Genevieve also provides general administrative office support and organization.

Prior to working at MHA, Genevieve worked at several healthcare-focused startups and interned for an MHA Affiliate. She holds a B.A. in psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where she also studied Spanish and social welfare. Her own lived experience with chronic and mental illnesses ignites her passion for change in the mental health and broader healthcare field.

Harpur Schwartz is the Director of Special Projects at MHA. In her role, she manages a portfolio of MHA grant-funded initiatives and provides technical assistance and project management support to grantees.

Prior to joining MHA, Harpur worked at various associations in the Washington, D.C. metro area overseeing federal grant programs. She has extensive experience in providing technical assistance and capacity building support to grantees, including state health departments, local health departments, community-based organizations, and cross-sector partners. Harpur received her Master of Science in Public Health in Health Education and Health Communication with certificates in Adolescent Health, Health Education, and Maternal and Child Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist and a Certified Lactation Counselor and holds a BA in Economics and Self-Designed Global Health from Connecticut College.