Division President Specialty Services & Admissions
Presenters & Facilitators
See Our 2026 Lineup
2026 Keynote Presenters
These presenters will take the stage on Thursday and Friday, April 23rd & 24th.
Dr. Michael Groat, PhD
The Lindner Center of HOPE, Chief Clinical Officer & CEO
Dr. Michael Groat is the Interim CEO and Chief Clinical Officer at Lindner Center of Hope. With over 16 years of experience in mental health and addiction treatment, he has held leadership roles at renowned institutions like CooperRiis, Silver Hill Hospital, and the Menninger Clinic. Dr. Groat is dedicated to providing exceptional patient care, fostering a culture of excellence, and driving innovation in the field. He is also a skilled clinician and educator, with expertise in psychotherapeutic treatments, personality assessment, and recovery.
Dr. Karlyn Pleasants, PsyD
Anew Treatment Center, Chief Clinical Advisor
For over 25 years, Dr. Pleasants has helped create thriving therapeutic environments that have supported thousands of individuals and their families successfully build a life of self-management, health, and independence beyond the bounds of psychiatric diagnoses. She began her career as a therapist at Hanbleceya, a small therapeutic community in Southern California before going on to acquire the program in 2005 and co-found the Hanbleceya Treatment Center and Hanbleceya Recovery Network. In 2022, she and a group of equally dedicated professionals took the model and culture to Arizona and founded the Anew Treatment Center. Dr. Pleasants has dedicated herself to cultivating programs rooted in a culture of belonging, hope, and a belief in sustainable change. She is considered one of the nation’s leading authorities on working with severe mental illness at the individual, sibling, and whole-family levels to support generational healing and change.
Dr. Georgia Fourlas, DSW, LCSW, LIAC, CSAT-S
The Meadows, Executive Director of Rio Retreat Center
Georgia Fourlas, Executive Director for Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows, holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in social work. She has worked in the field of behavioral health for more than 20 years and has extensive experience working with adults and children as a crisis counselor, trauma therapist, and addictions therapist. More than a decade of Dr. Fourlas’ experience has been working with patients in an inpatient setting at both state and privately funded agencies. She also previously held positions as a program coordinator, program director, and clinical director, and she is an approved clinical supervisor through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.
Dr. Amy Serin, PhD
Horizon Recovery, Director of Neuropsychology
Dr. Amy Serin is an internationally recognized neuropsychologist and stress expert on a mission to help you live your best life! After graduating from Arizona State University in 1996 as Valedictorian (Moeur Award), she obtained a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University in 2006. She then founded Serin Centers in 2007 to integrate cutting-edge, results-oriented neuropsychology into profound and permanent results for her clients. Her unique blend of scientifically based methods including 3-D brain mapping, neurofeedback, bi-lateral stimulation, EMDR therapy, CBT therapy, and Near Infrared Technology for anxiety, depression, ADHD, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, autism spectrum disorders, giftedness, performance enhancement, and life challenges are “truly revolutionary” according to Huffington Post. Since 2007, Serin Centers have helped thousands of kids, teens, and adults reach their full potential.
Dustin Tibbitts, LMFT
Dustin Tibbitts, LMFT, is a Division President of Embark Behavioral Health, a multi-state company with 30 programs in 18 states. He has created multiple inpatient and outpatient programs over the past 28 years. He currently develops specialized residential services for adolescents and young adults experiencing emotional or behavioral difficulties across the country. He is a frequent presenter at national conferences on topics of family healing, leadership and treating clients with dignity. Dustin is a practicing Marriage and Family Therapist.
Jackson Ardery, LICSW & Jesse Roberge, OT
McLean Hospital
Jackson Ardery, LICSW is a clinical social worker and psychotherapist at McLean Hospital’s Appleton House residential program, specializing in care for adults with primary psychotic disorders and complex mental health conditions. Jackson applies advanced training in psychoanalytic, dialogic, and relational frameworks to partner with patients and families for psychological and functional change, in line with their values, dignity, and needed communiy engagement.
Jessie Robbins Roberge, MSOTR/L, is an occupational therapist with two decades of experience specializing in psychiatric rehabilitation, functional recovery, and milieu-based therapy. She currently serves as the Occupational Therapist in the Bipolar and Psychotic Disorders Division at McLean Hospital’s Appleton Residential Program, where she conducts comprehensive evaluations, develops individualized treatment plans, and provides both individual and group interventions aimed at maximizing functional independence and community integration.
2026 Workshop Facilitators
This includes Pre-Conference Workshops and all other non-keynote Workshops.
Dr. Paul E. Keck, Jr., MD
Consulting Psychiatrist and former President/CEO of Lindner Center of HOPE
Paul E. Keck, Jr., MD, is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine. He is also Consulting Psychiatrist and former Psychiatrist-in-Chief and Founding President-CEO Emeritus of the Lindner Center of HOPE, a state-of-the-science, UC-affiliated comprehensive mental health center in Mason, Ohio. Dr. Keck has conducted extensive research in bipolar disorder, depression and clinical psychopharmacology, supported by grants from the NIMH, NARSAD, the Stanley Foundation, the Marriott Foundation, and industry. Since 1996, he has been in the top 20 of the most cited scientists in the world publishing in the fields of psychology and psychiatry and in the top 5% of scientists publishing in medicine worldwide.
A magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth College, Dr. Keck received his MD with honors (AOA) from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. He served his internship in Internal Medicine at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York and completed his residency training in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA. Dr. Keck remained on faculty at McLean and Harvard before joining the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati in 1991.
Dr. Keck is the author of over 400 scientific papers in leading medical journals. He has also contributed over 200 reviews and chapters to major psychiatric textbooks and is the editor or author of 6 scientific books.
Debra Kaplan, MA, MBA, LPC, CSAT-S
Licensed Therapist, Speaker, and Author
Debra L. Kaplan, MA, MBA, LPC, CSAT-S is an author, speaker and licensed therapist specializing in sexual addiction/compulsivity, money, work, and relationships.
After a distinguished career on Wall Street, Ms. Kaplan transitioned into psychology, integrating her expertise in finance with clinical practice. She is the author of For Love and Money: Exploring Sexual & Financial Betrayal in Relationships and Battle of the Titans: Mastering the Forces of Sex, Money, and Power in Relationships, as well as the co-author of the recent publication Coupleship Inc: From Financial Conflict to Financial Intimacy.
Ms. Kaplan serves as an expert witness in legal cases involving financial domination and sexual and financial betrayal. She also facilitates workshops, trainings, and intensive programs on issues related to sex and finance. Ms. Kaplan is a faculty member of the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals, and a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist-Supervisor. She is an invited guest on podcasts and financial media outlets. You can learn more at: www.debrakaplancounseling.com
Thomas B. McCray Jr.
Founder & CEO of Thrive Mental, LLC
Thomas B. McCray Jr., author of Voices in the Machine: How AI Is Reimagining Mental Health Care, is the Founder and CEO of Thrive Mental, LLC, a company pioneering AI-driven, phone-based emotional support designed to extend care beyond traditional clinical settings. Through its flagship AI companion, Claireena™, Thrive Mental focuses on delivering structured, evidence-informed support rooted in principles such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), helping individuals navigate real-life emotional challenges as they occur.
Thomas is a strong advocate for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in mental health. He emphasizes that AI should never replace clinicians, but rather serve as a bridge, supporting individuals in the critical moments between therapy sessions, when emotional experiences are most immediate and often unsupported. His work centers on what he defines as Inter-Session Emotional Support, a model that enhances continuity of care without increasing clinician workload.
With a background in high-level customer experience leadership, Thomas brings a systems-driven approach to emotional support, blending technology, empathy, and structured conversational design. His work has been shaped by both professional expertise and deeply personal experiences, including navigating profound loss, which informs his commitment to accessible, human-centered care.
In his presentation, “Voices in the Machine: How AI Is Reimagining Mental Health Care,” Thomas equips attendees with a clear framework for understanding how AI can responsibly extend therapeutic support, improve accessibility, and complement – not replace – the work of mental health professionals. Attendees will leave with practical, ethical, and immediately applicable insights to help extend their impact beyond the therapy room.
Amanda Johnson
The Story Oracle & Saved By Story Publishing, CEO
With more than two decades of experience partnering with people to rewrite personal and collective narratives as a friend, a mother, a teacher, a facilitator, a storyteller, a brand and content strategist, and a messenger guide, Amanda Johnson (The Story Oracle) empowers audiences ready to stop the st*ry loops and start co-authoring a truer story for themselves, their loved ones and colleagues, and the world. Her unapologetically-honest, story-driven approach awakens individuals to the st*ries that hold them back and equips them with the tools to begin taking more control of the narrative.
Dr. Allison Brownlee, PsyD, LMFT
Stronger Together Community Services, Founder & Clinical Director
Dr. Allison Brownlee, LMFT, is the Founder and Clinical Director of Stronger Together Community Services, a California-based nonprofit mental health agency delivering trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and community-centered outpatient therapy to bridge clinical theory with real-world healing for families affected by systemic inequities, intergenerational trauma, and community violence. With over a decade of expertise in family systems therapy, complex trauma, and resilience-building in underserved communities, she holds a Master’s in Marital and Family Therapy, is a licensed LMFT with advanced training in trauma recovery, culturally adapted interventions, and clinical supervision, and has designed integrated programs combining mental health education, whole-family support, and collaborative care with schools and social services—all grounded in equity, accessibility, and healing-centered engagement. A seasoned presenter and supervisor, Dr. Brownlee leads workshops for mental health professionals, educators, and nonprofit leaders on trauma-informed care, family systems, and inclusive practice, translating evidence-based models into practical tools for diverse outpatient clinicians.
Helen Midouhas, PhD, LPC & Marcus Brown, Jr.
FFT LLC, Implementation Director
Urban Youth Alliance, ATLAS Director
Helen Midouhas, Ph.D., LPC, is Implementation Director for FFT LLC, supporting the dissemination of Functional Family Therapy—an evidence-based model for at-risk youth and families—since 2002. She has served as model expert, liaison for large-scale projects, trainer, consultant, data analyst, research supporter, and sustainability planner. A Nationally Certified Counselor and Pennsylvania Licensed Professional Counselor, Helen holds a Master’s in School and Community Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Community and Organizational Leadership Studies from Alvernia University. Her prior experience includes administration, program implementation, and clinical supervision.
Marcus Brown, Jr. is a mission-driven mental health leader committed to transforming systems and expanding pathways of healing for high-risk youth and families across New York City. He currently serves as the Director of the Atlas Initiative at Urban Youth Alliance Inc., where he leads a Functional Family Therapy (FFT) program focused on reducing recidivism, disrupting cycles of violence, and preventing further system involvement among youth disproportionately impacted by structural inequities.
Dr. Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, MD, FAED, CEDS
CEO and CMO of Within Health and Galen Hope
Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, M.D., FAED, CEDS, is the Co-Founder, CEO, and Chief Medical Officer of Within Health, a world-renowned expert in eating disorder treatment with over 25 years of clinical experience, having developed four comprehensive bio-psycho-social programs that integrate intensive psychotherapy, behavioral science, and high medical standards to address underlying drivers of mental health conditions and guide lasting healing. Board-certified in Adult and Addiction Psychiatry with training at NYU-Bellevue Hospital and academic appointments at NYU, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and the University of Nevada School of Medicine, she was recently named a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association—one of the field’s highest honors—while also serving as a Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders and the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals. The author of two books, including Questions and Answers on Binge Eating Disorder: A Guide for Clinicians, Dr. Oliver-Pyatt has earned Senatorial Recognition for her transformative contributions to mental health.
Kayla Karesh, LMFT, ATR
Create Wellbeing Therapy Collective, Founder & Clinical Director
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (CA & AZ) and Registered Art Therapist with over 20 years of integrative care experience, Kayla leads the exceptional team at Create Wellbeing while serving as Clinical Consultant for Anew Treatment Center in Scottsdale, AZ, and drawing from prior clinical and executive director roles at BrightQuest, Center for Discovery, Bridges to Recovery, and True Life Center for Wellbeing. Holding a Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy from Loyola Marymount University with specialized clinical art therapy training and a Master of Arts in Theology from Fuller Seminary, she crafts individualized, non-linear healing plans that strategically blend evidence-based, body-based, expressive, and spiritual therapies—integrating modalities honed through lifelong learning to foster immediate and lasting change. Kayla’s strength lies in cohesively connecting diverse methods with relational trust and collaboration, the cornerstone of healing, even when messy.
Kevin Taggart, CM&AP
Mertz Taggart, Managing Partner
Kevin Taggart, CM&AP, is a Managing Partner and co-founder at Mertz Taggart. Previously, he founded a land development and home-building company, where he gained invaluable experience running all aspects of the business, including raising capital, permitting and developing the land, building the houses, and putting together and executing a marketing plan.
He was also co-owner of a home care company, which successfully sold to a large publicly traded company in 2010. He has been guiding other healthcare companies through the sales process since. Kevin has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and invited to speak at many national and regional healthcare conferences with topics ranging from the process of selling a healthcare company, maximizing value before a sale and after a sale, M&A market conditions, and many other M&A-related topics.
Megan Harrison, LMFT
Anew Treatment Center, CEO & Managing Partner
Megan Harrison is the Chief Executive Officer and a managing partner of Anew Treatment Center, a mental health treatment facility located in Scottsdale, Arizona. She has a wealth of clinical and managerial experience through her roles as a therapist, in clinical directorships, senior managing positions, and as president of a private consulting firm.
Megan joined active-duty service for the United States Navy in August of 2001. While on active duty, she supported deployment needs in the Middle East including efforts to support Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Following her honorable discharge in 2007, she supported government contract initiatives to develop employment opportunities for veterans transitioning from active-duty service into the civilian workplace.
Tom Parker, LISW & Meg Horne, LMSW
Director of External Relations, Lindner Center of HOPE
Clinical Outreach Manager, McLean Hospital
Tom Parker, LISW, serves as Director of External Relations at Lindner Center of HOPE, where he builds and strengthens strategic partnerships with referring providers, mental health professionals, and community organizations. A seasoned LISW with extensive experience in social services marketing, program development, and relationship management since the Center’s founding in 2008, Tom combines creative problem-solving, strong communication and presentation skills, and a consistently positive, collaborative approach to expand access to high-quality, evidence-based mental health and addiction treatment.
Meg Horne, LMSW, has over two decades of experience in clinical outreach, business development, and program leadership. She is currently a clinical outreach manager at McLean Hospital, where she leads strategic initiatives to expand community engagement and partnerships. Ms. Horne has held leadership positions across various health care settings and is a skilled advocate for mental health and community engagement. She holds a master of social work degree from Boston University and is a licensed master social worker in Texas.