Our Team

The YOR California team works in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Substance Use Disorder Compliance Division to implement all YOR California activities. Our team is comprised of California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS) and Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP) experts who together offer decades of experience in the field and a deep commitment to working with systems, communities, families, youth, and individuals challenged by substance use and opioid use disorders.

Meet Our Team

Victor Kogler - YOR California Project Investigator

Victor Kogler, CIBHS Vice President, has worked in the substance use disorder field in California since 1971. He has worked with the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Committee of California’s County Behavioral Health Directors Association to develop analyses of the DMC-ODS Waiver Special Terms and Conditions (STCs), 42 CFR, Part 438 Managed Care Regulations, and a crosswalk between Title 22 and the Waiver STCs.

Deborah (Deb) Werner, MA, PMP – YOR California Project Director

Deb Werner, senior program manager at AHP, has been engaged in efforts to improve behavioral health services for individuals, youth, families, and communities since 1989. She also leads technical assistance for the SAMHSA Homeless and Housing Resource Network and served as the Director for the SAMHSA Women and Children Training and Technical Assistance Project for ten years. She has directed numerous California technical assistance projects.

Elizabeth (Liz) Stanley-Salazar, BSN, MPH - Subject Matter Expert, Outreach Lead, YOR California Grantee Liaison

Liz Stanley-Salazar has served as an executive leader, program administrator, policy analyst, and clinician in behavioral health care for more than 35 years. She has worked in public and private health care, substance abuse, mental health, and corrections settings. For more than two decades, she ran Phoenix Houses of California’s Adolescent Treatment Continuum, providing integrated substance use and mental health services. In 2016, she left Phoenix House to pursue consultation opportunities reflecting the breath of her experience and passion for developing quality integrated care. She consults with CIBHS and other clients. She also serves as a Senior Advisor to California Health Policy Strategies; member of the board of directors of Children and Family Futures, Inc; an appointee on the California Medi-Cal Children’s Advisory Panel; and an associate member of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services and the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Youth Advisory Group.

Patrick Gauthier - YOR California Subject Matter Expert

Patrick Gauthier, Director of Healthcare Solutions Division at AHP, brings more than 27 years in the managed care and behavioral health treatment sectors. He has held management positions in a variety of medical, mental health, and substance use disorder treatment settings. He served as an executive in a national managed behavioral health care organization for more than a decade.

Deann Jepson, MS - YOR California Resource Coordinator

Deann Jepson is senior program manager at AHP. She has a distinctive portfolio, including formal education and experience in health care communication. Ms. Jepson manages a team of technical writers and works on several project teams, including the National Association of Home Builders team that is creating a comprehensive education campaign to address the opiate crisis in the home building industry.

Mackenzie Slade – YOR California Grantee Liaison

Mackenzie Slade serves as the business unit and project manager for AHP’s Healthcare Solutions Division and manages projects for private and government entities across the United States seeking subject matter consultation, strategic planning, and implementation support. She holds extensive health care specific project management experience, including heath policy projects at the state and federal level.

Ashlye Durrrell, MSW – YOR California Grantee Liaison

Ashlye Durrell is a program associate at AHP and a social worker registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. She has served in leadership roles, as well as provided group and individual therapy to clients. She has in-depth knowledge of evidence-based practices, including trauma-informed care and harm reduction strategies.

Contact us at YORCalifornia@ahpnet.com.

A Joint Effort by the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions and Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. and funded by the California Department of Health Care Services Community Services Division​