JFK PARTNERS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Affairs Committee
- Steele Street College Consulting / Co - Founder / Independent Education Consultant
Job Titles:
- Research - Senior Professional
Aimee Sullivan, PhD is a Senior Instructor and Licensed Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Sullivan earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology with Dr. David J. Miklowitz at the University of Colorado Boulder, and completed her predoctoral clinical internship at UCLA. She specializes in the treatment of bipolar disorder in children, adolescents, and adults, with a particular emphasis on the use of Dr. Miklowitz's Family-Focused Treatment (FFT) for adolescents and adults with bipolar disorder, as well as youth at high risk for bipolar disorder. Dr. Sullivan has provided psycho-educational and clinical trainings regarding the treatment of bipolar disorder to national and international audiences. She has previously received funding through the Caring for Colorado Foundation to support a two-year project aimed at increasing provider access FFT across the state, and has served as lead psychologist in randomized controlled trials investigating the use of FFT in multiple patient populations.
Job Titles:
- Instructor of Psychiatry & Care Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Program Manager
- Program Manager ( Connections )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director of Education & Community Programs
Job Titles:
- Director of Perinatal and Family Behavioral Healthcare
- Program Director Associate Professor of Psychiatry Licensed Psychologist
Job Titles:
- MH - Program Administrator
I am the Program Administrator for the Behavioral Health & Wellness Program. I manage administrative duties including daily operations, procurement, training coordination, database management, and contract facilitation. I assist with program development and resource production through research, content development, video & audio production, website development, and graphic design.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Job Titles:
- Community Leader
- Member of the Board Affairs Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Affairs Committee
- Executive, Raise the Future
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Adult Division Administrator
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Medical Student Education
I am a Senior Professional Research Assistant at the University of Colorado Denver and have been a Research Associate with the Behavioral Health and Wellness Program since 2013. I received a BA in Biology from Colgate University and a Masters in Environmental Policy & Management from the University of Denver. At BHWP my roles have evolved over time to now encompass "a little bit of everything", including grant preparation and submission, database management, survey construction, training curriculum development and production, large document editing, graphic design, and contract facilitation. I am also employed by the Division of Substance Dependence, where I have participated in grants and contracts management, study coordination, IRB/human subjects research, budget development and monitoring, procurement, manuscript submission, and NIH and University systems. It has been my privilege to contribute to the University and the Department of Psychiatry for over 18 years.
Job Titles:
- Program Staff Member
- Program Manager ( Women 's Behavioral Health and Wellness )
Job Titles:
- ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
- Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics
Audrey Blakeley-Smith, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CU SOM). She is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in developmental disabilities, most specifically autism spectrum disorder. In addition, she is the training director of the APA accredited psychology internship in the University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 2005 from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at CU SOM. Clinical and research interests include the co-occurrence of anxiety in youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Dr. Blakeley-Smith is the principal investigator on a Department of Defense randomized clinical trial on Facing Your Fears: IDD and on a HRSA Graduate Psychology Education grant.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Medical Student Education
• Brian has been a caregiver, job coach, peer advocate, case manager, family member of persons of different abilities, community and family leader, Performing Artist, public presenter, and co facilitator - individually and with various disability organizations.
• He is alumni of the Colorado LEND/UCEDD training program and the AUCD Leadership Academy.
Job Titles:
- COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROFESSIONAL
Job Titles:
- External Relations Program Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
- Education Events Committee Chair / Community Leader
Job Titles:
- Medical Director ( Healthy Expectations )
I am a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Director of the Behavioral Health & Wellness Program and Co-Director of the interdisciplinary Wellness Leadership Institute. I have been the principal for over 100 grants and contracts to study and implement effective organizational, psychosocial, and pharmacologic wellness strategies across the age range. I have had the privilege of providing clinical, public policy and program evaluation consultation across more than 35 states and internationally. I am a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), and have served on a number of Boards including the American Psychological Association's Council of Representatives, Colorado Psychological Association, National Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence, and North American Quitline Consortium. I currently serve on the Larimer County Behavioral Health Policy Council.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Job Titles:
- Senior Instructor of Psychiatry
Christine Cook, BA has served as the JFK Partners Training Coordinator since 2018. In this role, she assists with trainee/fellow recruitment, JFK Partners curriculum, course evaluations, and trainee follow-up surveys. She administers the national AUCD LEND Quality Improvement Project for JFK Partners with all long-term trainees and their mentors each year. She is the conference coordinator for the JFK Partners Annual Autism Conference and has been integral to advising the conference director on topics and resources for families. She assists with the Disability Dialogues Student Group which holds monthly lunch and learn sessions throughout the academic year. She also coordinates all continuing education and webinars to increase workforce development in Colorado. As a parent of an adolescent with Autism, her lived experience is integrated into her work projects. Christine has been with the university in a variety of positions for over 20 years. She is a valued member of the JFK Partners team!
Job Titles:
- Medical Director
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Psychiatrist
- Adult Division Director for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Christopher Schneck, MD is a Professor of Psychiatry and the Adult Division Director for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. In addition, he is the Medical Director of the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center, the Medical Director of the Bipolar Clinic, and holds the Marsico Endowed Chair for Excellence. Dr. Schneck's primary area of clinical interest is in the treatment of complex mood disorders, both in specialty clinics and integrated care settings. His research for the past 25 years has focused on several aspects of bipolar disorder, including rapid cycling bipolar disorder in adults as well as assessment and management of adolescents with bipolar disorder. Working with Dr. David J. Miklowitz, his most recent research has investigated Family Focused Therapy (FFT) as an early intervention for adolescents at high risk for bipolar disorder. Dr. Schneck spends considerable time teaching residents and has won many awards for his teaching and his clinical care of patients.
I am a clinical psychologist and the Clinical Director for the Behavioral Health and Wellness Program (BHWP) and the Wellness Leadership Institute at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine. I have developed many training programs and educational materials for administrators, healthcare providers, and peer specialists focused on health behavior change for whole health, work & well-being, and tobacco cessation. I also work with organizations to create systems that support the overall health of the organization, its employees, and the people they serve.
Job Titles:
- Program Staff Member
- Research - Principal Professional
Clint Carlson, MS is Director of Education Technology Innovations in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Clint focuses on creative capacity building found where education, technology, and public health intersect to build the latest tools and workflows around Augmented Reality, Patient Simulation, and digital learning platforms.
Job Titles:
- Community Leader
- Member of the Board Affairs Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
Brian is a Program Developer/Trainer specializing in Supported and Customized Employment, Colorado Office of Employment First. Brian has 7 years of experience in the field of rehabilitation counseling and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC). Brian obtained his master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Northern Colorado. Brian is the Rehabilitation Counseling Discipline Director for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Program (LEND) through JFK Partners, Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus. Brian is certified in the evidenced-informed practice of customized employment as a practitioner, trainer, and mentor. Brian received both the Colorado Association of Peron's Supporting Employment First (CO-APSE) Wendy M. Wood Emerging Leader Award and the DVR Shining Stars Award in 2018. Brian's work focuses on and is committed to expanding competitive integrated employment, real work for real pay, opportunities for all people with disabilities, especially for individuals with significant barriers and experiences related to employment both at the State and National levels.
Job Titles:
- Senior Instructor of Psychiatry
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Associate Clinic Director, Psychologist
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
- Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Licensed Psychologist
Job Titles:
- Community Leader
- Member of the Board Affairs Committee
Dr. Richard Boles is a pediatric psychologist with specialization in child behavior and nutrition. He earned his doctoral degree in clinical child psychology from the University of Kansas and completed his pediatric residency and fellowship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Boles is a Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Nutrition, and a member of the Section of Developmental Pediatrics / JFK Partners serving as Associate Director of Research.
Clinically, he provides individual and group outpatient services in the Lifestyle Medicine Weight Management Clinic and Adolescent Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Center at Children's Hospital Colorado. Dr. Boles currently conducts research on the prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity targeting parenting strategies, the home environment, and healthy habits affecting weight development. He has additional expertise in research methodology and statistical applications for clinical interventions.
As a post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Boles published findings for one of the first randomized controlled trials for treatment of preschool obesity. As faculty, he received a NIH career development award to expand this programmatic focus on pediatric obesity among low-income families of minority status. Additionally, he has been PI or co- investigator on grants funded by the NIH, USDA, Colorado Health Foundation, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which collectively further developed his patient-oriented research on pediatric obesity with a strong emphasis on families with socioeconomic and racial /ethnic diversity. His additional research has identified sleep and activity behaviors related to weight development in children, including research examining family functioning on child sleep in children with diversity. His current portfolio includes being co-investigator on multiple federally funded investigations with aims evaluating the impact of lifestyle, medication, and surgical interventions on health outcomes in childhood and adolescence as well as mental health interventions for individuals with intellectual and developmental disability. He has been invited to lecture nationally and internationally with nearly 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and research abstracts.
Elizabeth Peros - Chairman, Chief Legal Officer
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Corporate Counsel
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
Job Titles:
- Research Services Professional
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Affairs Committee
- Founding Chair Emeritus / President
Job Titles:
- RESEARCH ASSOCIATE SENIOR CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR
Job Titles:
- Project Manager in the Department of Psychiatry
Holly Ables, MA is a Project Manager in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She earned her master's in Instructional Design and Adult Learning at the University of Colorado Denver and has has over 17 years of program management and accreditation compliance experience in medical education.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Licensed Psychologist
Job Titles:
- Director of Clinical Services
- Program Director ( Connections )
Director of Clinical Services | Assistant Professor of Psychiatry | Licensed Psychologist
I joined BHWP in the fall of 2013 and I am excited to continue working in an endeavor I began as an undergraduate, helping connect underserved populations to the knowledge and services they need to live rich, healthy, and fulfilling lives. I received a BA in International Studies, Spanish and Philosophy from Indiana University before going on to enroll in a Masters program in International Relations at the University of Indianapolis.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Affairs Committee
- Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President / RK Industries
Job Titles:
- Director of Medical Student Education
- Director, Medical Student Education / Associate Professor
Job Titles:
- Senior Instructor of Psychiatry
I am a Clinical Associate in the Behavioral Health and Wellness Program and a Research Senior Instructor in the Colorado School of Public Health. I am also a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist and member of the International Motivational Interviewing (MI) Network of Trainers. My research interests include applied models of behavior change, motivational interviewing, and coping mechanisms across a wide range of chronic illnesses.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Director ( Healthy Expectations )
Job Titles:
- Administrative Coordinator
- Research - Senior Professional
Job Titles:
- Patient Service Representative
Job Titles:
- Director of Integrated Behavioral Health / Visiting Professor of Psychiatry
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Affairs Committee
- Partner - KPMG
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director
- Member of the Leadership Team
Melissa Argenti, MS, OTR/L received her undergraduate degree from Gettysburg College and her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, Colorado. Following graduation, she completed a two year JFK Partners Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) fellowship. She joined the team at JFK Partners as a faculty member in 2015 and has since become the OT LEND Director. Her current clinical duties include providing occupational therapy services on the transdisciplinary ENRICH early intervention team as well as on the interdisciplinary JFK Partners/Developmental Pediatrics autism assessment team. Melissa has presented to a variety of local organizations and other LEND fellows on how to identify common sensory-motor impairments in children with ASD and sensory intervention strategies. She has advanced training in feeding/eating interventions, including sensory integration strategies, picky eating, GI tube transitioning, and positioning. Melissa also serves as fieldwork educator and mentor, helping OT students learn and understand pediatric assessments and interventions.
Job Titles:
- Patient Access Representative
Job Titles:
- Program Director ( Perinatal Pathways )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Member of the Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Job Titles:
- Program Staff Member
- Research - Senior Professional
Job Titles:
- Adult Clinical Psychologist
Job Titles:
- PRE DR TRAINEE PRE DR TRAINEE
Robin Ennis, LCSW is the LEND Self-Advocacy Discipline Director at JFK Partners. Robin has a B.A. in Sociology and Communication and an MSW in Clinical Social Work from the University of Denver. She is a licensed social worker in the state of Colorado. In addition, she holds national certifications in the areas of Life Coaching and Grief Recovery, and she completed the JFK Partners LEND Training Program in 2019-20. Robin became unexpectedly blind at the age of 18 due to a medical complication with Hydrocephalus. In her role as the LEND Self-Advocacy Discipline Director, she recruits and mentors Self-Advocates through their LEND training and contributes her lived experience to the LEND curricula. She teaches about People First Language, Identity First Language, and Ableism. She serves on the AUCD LEND Self-Advocacy Discipline Network (LSDN), is past co-chair of the JFK Partners Advisory Council, and speaks at various conferences. It is Robin's mission to make sure everyone of all abilities has an equal voice.
Job Titles:
- Writer and Motivational Speaker
Job Titles:
- ASSISTANT CLINICAL PROFESSOR
Sandra Gabbard, PhD, BS, Audiology and Speech Sciences, Purdue University; MA, Audiology, University of Northern Colorado; PhD, Audiology, University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Gabbard is the President/CEO and clinical audiologist at Marion Downs Center (MDC). She is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences Department at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Gabbard serves as the Project Director for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Audiology Supplement to support clinical and leadership training of pediatric audiology trainees. She continues to practice audiology as well as teach and mentor audiology students. Dr. Gabbard has extensive clinical experience diagnosing hearing challenges in children and adults and supporting their technology needs. She has published and presented extensively in the areas of infant hearing assessment, pediatric amplification and communication access. She collaborates regularly with Colorado Families for Hands and Voices and the Colorado Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Program.
Job Titles:
- Director, JFK Partners / University of Colorado School
- PROFESSOR
Sandra L. Friedman, MD, MPH, MS. MS Speech Pathology, University of Michigan. MD Northwestern University School of Medicine. MPH Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Friedman is Professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Pediatrics. She is Director of JFK Partners, being PI on the federally funded University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Program. She previously served as Medical Director and Section Head of Developmental Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (UCSOM) and Children's Hospital Colorado (CHCO). She also served as Developmental Behavioral Pediatric (DBP) Fellowship Program Director at UCSOM/CHCO, having obtained ACGME-accreditation for this DBP fellowship program. She is the lead for the Colorado Coordinating Research Entity (CRE) for the national multisite and is a member of the DBP Research Network (DBPNet). She has been on the faculty in Colorado since September 2009. Dr. Friedman is board certified in Pediatrics, Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, and Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics and has been involved in developmental assessments and management of children with a wide range of developmental problems and special health care needs. She has served on multiple local and national boards of directors, advisory and executive committees. Her major areas of scientific interest are children with special health care needs, intellectual disability, end-of-life care, and autism spectrum disorder.
Education, Licensure & Certifications
Northwestern University School of Medicine - Residency
Stanford University Medical Center - Fellowship
Children's Hospital Boston - Harvard School of Public Health
Job Titles:
- Deputy Executive & Medical Director ( CoCWBHW )
- Deputy Executive Director of the Colorado Center for Women 's Behavioral Health and Wellness Psychiatrist
Job Titles:
- Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry
Steven Berkowitz, MD is a Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado, School of Medicine and the Director of the START center. His career has focused on the treatment development and research on the impact of childhood traumatic exposure and reactions across the lifespan. After 20 years at Yale as both and trainee and faculty member, he moved to the University of Pennsylvania where he worked closely with the city of Philadelphia to develop a more effective Child and Family Behavioral Health system within the public sector. He moved to the University of Colorado in 2018 to initiate the START center. He has developed a successful model of secondary prevention for children exposed to a traumatic event and has been an author on several manuals for acute responses for disasters and other critical incidents. He has authored over 50 articles, chapters and books.
Job Titles:
- Community Leader
- Member of the Board Affairs Committee
Job Titles:
- Community Programs Research Associate
Job Titles:
- Senior Instructor of Psychiatry
Job Titles:
- INSTRUCTOR
- Director of the Colorado Office of Employment First
Dr. Cron is the Director of the Colorado Office of Employment First. She is a well-respected leader in the field of disability having over 17 years of experience working with people with disabilities to live the life that they desire. Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in General Psychology with an emphasis in Cognitition and Instruction and holds an M.A. in Educational Psychology, and a BA in Psychology. Dr. Cron is driven by the belief and value that all people have the right to work, and that support does not come in a one-size-fits-all model.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Program Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Affairs Committee
- Managing Director / J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Job Titles:
- Research - Intermediate Professional
Job Titles:
- CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR
- RESEARCH MANAGER
Job Titles:
- Director of Specialized Women 's Behavioral Healthcare