BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Executive Team
Andrea Jones obtained her MBA from Johns Hopkins University and as a BA in Economics from The College of William & Mary. Ms. Jones is an accounting and finance professional with over 35 years of experience in leading teams, creating, and integrating procedural improvements, automating and enhancing workflow processes.
Ms. Jones has experiences in training and mentoring staff in processing monthly, quarterly, and year-end fiscal period closes in accordance with US GAAP. She has been responsible for the forecasting, budgeting, executive presentations, providing ad hoc reports and analyses to senior management staff as needed including explaining actual to budget variances. Her experience includes executive positions in domestic and international global fortune 100 and 500 Companies.
Ms. Jones has been instrumental in helping organizations obtain accreditations such as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accreditation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- Administrator / Michelle Venable Health Center Network Director
- Public Health Administrator
is the Divisional Director for the Harbor Area Division of BHS, and Administrator of Redgate Memorial Recovery Center in Long Beach. Ms. Cargill-Fuller holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Computer Information Systems, a master's degree in Public Administration, and is a certified CADC II though CAADAC. She has worked in the substance abuse treatment field for 27 years in both private and non-profit settings, and has been with BHS for 20 years, holding numerous positions such as Director of Community Relations and Marketing, Program Director, and Director of Housing. She has implemented numerous managed care contracts for BHS and obtained community development funding for housing for women and women with children. Ms. Cargill-Fuller is active in the community, serves on SAMHSA/CSAT's National Recovery Month Planning Partners committee in Washington, D.C., and annually organizes numerous events in Los Angeles County for Recovery Month, including "The Los Angeles Dodgers Celebrate Recovery," the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Proclamation for Recovery Month, and "Rally for Recovery."
Job Titles:
- Divisional Director
- Member of the Executive Team
is the Divisional Director for the Inland/Metro/East service area of Behavioral Health Services, Inc. She has been a progressive service provider for Alcohol and Drug Treatment and Prevention services since 1990. In the course of her career she has moved from administrative support to direct services and is currently in executive management. Celia has proven to be a skilled executive, visionary, strategic thinker and planner. She is a native of Los Angeles and is an advocate for culturally sensitive, competent and relevant treatment and prevention services for substance abusers. She is also vested in education and support services for individuals and communities directly and indirectly impacted by substance abuse and misuse as well as for persons with co-morbid diseases. Celia has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and has been a certified addiction specialist since 2005.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Executive Team
- President
Denise has recently been elevated to the role of President and CEO after serving as the Chief Operations Officer. She holds a master's degree in Social Work and a bachelor's degree in Human Services. Additionally, Denise is a Certified SUD Counselor, specializing in co-occurring disorders. With over 31 years of experience in the human service field, Denise has consistently showcased her leadership abilities. During her tenure as the Chief Operations Officer, she adeptly translated company strategies into daily operations to meet objectives. She set comprehensive goals for performance and growth, collaborating closely with Divisional Directors, CFO, and the previous CEO to craft treatment strategies, annual budgets, and monthly productivity goals. Denise played a pivotal role in launching several BHS projects, notably the United States Probation Offender UA testing program and the Vocational Training Program. The latter initiative is particularly notable for providing on-the-job training to participants, equipping them with skills vital for securing permanent employment. Beyond her professional commitments, Denise serves as a Board Member of a non-profit organization and generously volunteers in various community-based activities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- BHS Quality Manager
Efrain Marquez, LCSW, is the Quality Assurance Coordinator for the behavioral health programs. He holds a master's degree in Social Work and a bachelor's degree in Human Services. Efrain has worked in the human service field for over 22 years. He began his career providing services to unhoused families with children and managing a food pantry for the community. In his current position he reviews compliance with treatment standards and policies. He coordinates the Quarterly Peer Review and Utilization Review process along with the client Perception of Care surveys. Efrain participates in the Quality Improvement committee where he presents data findings and recommendations.
Job Titles:
- Director of Information Technology
- Member of the Executive Team
- Director of Information Technology / Miguel Gutierrez Health Center Network Administrator
Job Titles:
- Divisional Director
- Member of the Executive Team
Is the Divisional Director providing clinical and administrative oversight to mental health programing at BHS. Jeannie holds a Master's degree in Social Work from California State University, Northridge and became licensed in 2018. Jeannie has been working in community mental health services addressing homelessness, co- occurring disorders, justice involvement, reentry programs, as well as child and family services throughout Los Angeles County since 2010. She has specializes in working with severe mental illness and chronic homelessness. Jeannie joined the BHS team in 2021 to expand mental health services with a SAMSHA funded CCBHC designed to integrate services and increase access to care for underserved community members. She also acts as head of services for Department of Mental Health contracts at BHS. Additionally, Jeannie participated collaboratively with county funders to support the implementation of the BHS Sobering Center at Mark Ridley Thomas Behavioral Health Unit on the MLK Campus.
Job Titles:
- Director of Development
- Member of the Executive Team
John began his social service career as a volunteer HIV Testing Counselor shortly after discharging from residential substance abuse treatment in 1995. His personal and professional life have seen him working at the crux of substance abuse, mental illness, HIV/AIDS, homelessness, and LGBT social justice. He joined BHS in 2008 as the Director of Development, designing grant funded programs with an eye on ensuring the best possible service provision to individuals, families, and communities affected by substance use disorders and mental illness. Beginning his work in the field of HIV/AIDS in the mid-90s, John was immediately aware of the need to effectively integrate medical and behavioral health in the drastic need to reduce the spread of HIV, and to keep his clients alive until medical research caught up to the reality of the disease. Mr. Kirby is a strong believer in not reinventing the wheel, and therefore designs new programs and intervention approaches within a collaborative, integrated framework often capitalizing on the strengths of community partners in seeking the most expedient approach to new services.
Job Titles:
- Divisional Director
- Member of the Executive Team
- Divisional Director / Professional Bio
Mr. Fowler began his career in the behavioral health industry in 1991. His entry into the field of substance abuse treatment and mental health was rooted in his desire to give back to families struggling with behavioral health concerns. He believes that quality clinical programming and a well-managed treatment center provide clients with the environment needed to achieve sobriety. During the course of his thirty year career, he has held positions in counseling, admissions/business development, management and senior level executive positions in both the non-profit and for profit sector throughout California. He has extensive experience in behavioral health program start-ups and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Fowler has founded, owned, developed, managed and sold multiple Sober Living Homes, Detoxification Centers, Rehabilitation Centers, Outpatient Centers and Toxicology Laboratories throughout California. His last venture, (Hollywood Detox Center) grew through a combination of organic growth and acquisition activity into a 100-bed, multi-site, multi-county behavioral health organization reaching an EBITDA of three million dollars in two years. Following the sale of his treatment center in 2015, Mr. Fowler opened a Consulting Agency to provide advanced management solutions within the Behavioral Health marketplace to emerging or existing providers. His expertise has been retained by multiple high profile treatment centers (on a consultative basis) to assist with turn key solutions related to Licensure and Certification, Strategic Planning, Financial Planning, Operations Management, Revenue Cycle Management, Mergers and Acquisitions, Program Design, Clinical Program Development, Staff Training, Executive Recruitment, Emergency Planning & Critical Incident Stress Debriefing,
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources
Lynne Harper, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Lynne is the Director, Human Resources. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, specializing in Human Resources Management. She is also a Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources, (SPHR) and a Society for Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Lynne has worked in leadership roles in the human resources field for over 25 years for various not-for-profit healthcare organizations in the Greater Los Angeles area.
Job Titles:
- Chief Compliance Officer
- Member of the Executive Team
- CADC II, BSBA Chief Compliance Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- Administrator / Michelle Venable Health Center Network Director
- Health Center Network Director
is the Heath Center Operations Director, serving in this position at BHS since 2017. Prior to this, Mrs. Venable served as a health care operations professional for over 16 years focusing on program development and implantation including revenue cycle and contract management. Michelle Venable holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Accounting from the University of Phoenix. As the Health Center Operations Director, Mrs. Venable is responsible for directing and overseeing the management of multiple health center sites in accordance with the mission of the BHS organization. Michelle ensures health center operations meet business objectives and financial goals, in addition to being the liaison with site directors; managers, accounting, billing, and compliance teams which ensures optimal preformation with HRSA, State, County and Manage Care requirements. Michelle Venable is passionate about health care and the community; her adaptability to this fast-paced and ever-changing industry has been imperative to her success.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- Director of Information Technology / Miguel Gutierrez Health Center Network Administrator
- Health Center Network Administrator / Health Center Network Administrator
Job Titles:
- Divisional Director
- Member of the Executive Team
- Divisional Director for the South Bay
Raunda Jones is the Divisional Director for the South Bay and Harbor Area outpatient substance use treatment sites. Raunda holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles, a Juris Doctorate degree from Hastings College of the Law and a Master's in Social Work from Cal State Dominguez Hills. She is also a Certified Substance Use Disorder Counselor. Prior to her current role, Raunda managed referrals for criminal justice and other special population clients seeking substance use disorder treatment. Raunda also organized community prevention coalitions to implement prevention education and enact policy initiatives to prevent youth access to alcohol, drugs and tobacco products in the South Bay Community.
Job Titles:
- Director, Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Clinical Director
- Director of Clinical Services
- Member of the Executive Team
Steve has delivered mental health and substance-use disorder services for over 11 years throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. He is committed to providing evidence-based, holistic, inclusive, and effective treatment to the community, and encourages, trains, and supports BHS staff in doing the same. A native Los Angeleno, Steve graduated with his master's degree in psychology from Pepperdine University, and is committed to giving back to the community that has given him so much.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- Vice President of Finance