CIBHS is organized into Executive Management, Operations,
Accounting, Conference Planning, Evaluation, Evidence-Based
Practices, Human Resources, Special Projects, Strengths
Model, Substance Use Disorders, and Workforce Development.
Diverse and accomplished, CIBHS staff have years of experience in
providing and promoting excellence in behavioral health. CIBHS is
funded through a variety of funding sources, including private
funds, charitable foundations, county, state, and federal
contracts, grants, fees, and product sales.
Percy Howard, LCSW is the President and CEO of the
California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Over the
past five years, Percy has been a key player and leader in
California’s drive to implement recovery-oriented and
family-directed Evidence-Based Practice. During the course of his
32 year work history, Percy has worked for County Behavioral
Health and Child Welfare Systems, Private healthcare providers,
Non-Profit CBOs and in Juvenile Justice Settings.
Dr. Rick Goscha is Sr. Vice President for the California
Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Dr. Goscha has 30
years of experience in behavioral health including the provision
of clinical services, supervision and program management, agency
executive leadership, research and evaluation, and policy
development. Dr.
Victor Kogler is Vice President of CIBHS. Mr. Kogler has worked
in the substance use disorder field in California since 1971. He
served as Alcohol and Drug Program Administrator of Santa Barbara
County for twenty years and is a past president of the County
Alcohol and Drug Programs Administrators Association of
California. Mr. Kogler had been the Executive Director of the
Alcohol and Other Drug Policy Institute (ADPI) for 8 years prior
to the merger of that organization with the California Institute
for Mental Health which created CIBHS. In addition to his senior
management role, Mr.
Ms. Clancy offers a distinguished background in health care
system transformation. Building upon her experience in
designing and leading a SAMHSA national technical assistance
center, Ms. Clancy has a successful history of working with
counties, statewide agencies, provider organizations, advocacy
organizations, and health plans to propel large scale
quality improvement programs and initiatives.
Robert comes to CIBHS with a diverse background in the fields of
accounting, finance and information systems. With over 15 years
of experience, Robert has lead finance departments in sectors
ranging from healthcare services to environmental protection. In
the process, he has provided consulting services for prestigious
organizations such as the California Society of
Anesthesiologists, Audubon California and others.
Rick Degette is retiring as behavioral health director for
Stanislaus County. Prior to working with Stanislaus
County, Rick was the Director of Vocational Services
in Alameda County where he helped implement and expand the
Individual Placement and Support Model of Supported Employment
across the county. Rick brings more than 30 years of
experience working in public behavioral healthcare in California
as a direct service provider, manager, administrator, program
planner, and consultant.
Gayaneh is an Armenian/Iranian/American clinician who is
interested in trauma-informed care, evidenced-based practices,
individual differences and health care equity. Gayaneh has
certification in TFCBT and PCIT. Gayaneh lives with her husband
Malcolm, son Miro, and dog, Napoleon in Sacramento
California.
Will Rhett-Mariscal, PhD, MS, is a Director at CIBHS. Dr.
Rhett-Mariscal has developed and implemented practice and system
improvement projects impacting California’s public behavioral
health system in the areas of health equity, health care
integration, prevention and early intervention, and SUD.
Amy McIlvaine, supervised by Victor Kogler, has nearly 25 years
of leadership and management experience. Her primary areas of
expertise include innovation design, change management, process
improvement, and business operations. She is passionate about
mentoring and training behavioral health teams to become
innovative change leaders who are resilient, lead effective
change teams and implement changes that result in
improvements.
Amy relocated to Los Angeles in October 2017. She is now the
Director of several Los Angeles County SUD projects.
Dr. Samantha Spangler is Research and Evaluation Director for the
California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Dr.
Spangler has 15 years of experience in research, analytics, and
evaluation, including work with academic, government, corporate,
and non-profit organizations. Dr. Spangler completed a fellowship
in interdisciplinary autism research at the UC Davis MIND
Institute and has previously worked as a consultant to state and
local governments nationwide to provide planning, implementation,
and evaluation support for health and human services initiatives.
Hope Alvidrez is a native to the central valley and has lived in
Sacramento, CA since 1994. After working for the Lieutenant
Governor and the California State Legislature, Hope became an
employee of the California Institute for Behavioral Health
Solutions (CIBHS formerly CiMH). In 2011, she was promoted to
CIBHS’ Human Resources Manager responsible for better staff
and management relations, policy and procedure development and
payroll. Hope has graduated from the Human Resources
Certification Program at California State University, Sacramento.
Diane, who has a passion for office administration and support,
comes to CIBHS with over 30 years of experience. Originally
from Illinois, Diane has lived in Wisconsin and Arizona, finally
settling in the Sacramento area in 2005. Diane has one daughter
who resides in New York, and is mom to 4 fur babies. A
lover of anything outdoors, Diane recently traded in her 2-wheel
therapy (Harley-Davidson motorcycle) for some Delta therapy,
boating on the Sacramento River.
Robert comes to CIBHS with a diverse background in the fields of
accounting, finance and information systems. With over 15 years
of experience, Robert has lead finance departments in sectors
ranging from healthcare services to environmental protection. In
the process, he has provided consulting services for prestigious
organizations such as the California Society of
Anesthesiologists, Audubon California and others.
Mai comes to CIBHS from Colorado with over 5-years’ experience in
the accounting profession. Her experience as a Staff
Accountant and A/R Coordinator will be a great addition to our
Accounting Department.
Monique comes to CIBHS with a great customer service experience
and is looking forward to utilizing her skills and continuing to
grow and expanding her knowledge as an Economics major.
Theresa Ferrini has worked as the CIBHS Conference Planner
Department Manager for over 16 years. She received a
Certificate of Participation from California State
University, Sacramento, College of Continuing Education for
completing the Professional Meeting Planning Certificate Program
in December 2006. She is a member of the Society of Government
Meeting Professionals (SGMP) and was certified as a Government
Meeting Professional (CGMP) on March 23, 2012. This
organization named Theresa the Planner of the Year in 2014.
Dr. Samantha Spangler is Research and Evaluation Director for the
California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Dr.
Spangler has 15 years of experience in research, analytics, and
evaluation, including work with academic, government, corporate,
and non-profit organizations. Dr. Spangler completed a fellowship
in interdisciplinary autism research at the UC Davis MIND
Institute and has previously worked as a consultant to state and
local governments nationwide to provide planning, implementation,
and evaluation support for health and human services initiatives.
Dr. Shirley Sut Yee Chan is an Evaluation Associate for the
California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Dr. Chan
has 11 years of experience in research and evaluation, including
work with academic, government, and community health
organizations. Dr. Chan completed her doctoral degree in
social-personality psychology with an emphasis on quantitative
psychology at UC Davis. Dr.
Dr. Rick Goscha is Sr. Vice President for the California
Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Dr. Goscha has 30
years of experience in behavioral health including the provision
of clinical services, supervision and program management, agency
executive leadership, research and evaluation, and policy
development. Dr.
Gayaneh is an Armenian/Iranian/American clinician who is
interested in trauma-informed care, evidenced-based practices,
individual differences and health care equity. Gayaneh has
certification in TFCBT and PCIT. Gayaneh lives with her husband
Malcolm, son Miro, and dog, Napoleon in Sacramento
California.
Rick Degette is retiring as behavioral health director for
Stanislaus County. Prior to working with Stanislaus
County, Rick was the Director of Vocational Services
in Alameda County where he helped implement and expand the
Individual Placement and Support Model of Supported Employment
across the county. Rick brings more than 30 years of
experience working in public behavioral healthcare in California
as a direct service provider, manager, administrator, program
planner, and consultant.
Shoshana Zatz, BS, has worked with CIBHS since 2011. She has over
twenty years of experience working with nonprofits and vulnerable
populations on issues related to affordable housing, homelessness
and hunger and mental health. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in
Community Nutrition with a psychological/behavioral focus from UC
Davis in 1988.
Alice Washington is an associate at the California Institute for
Behavioral Health Solutions. Ms. Washington was awarded a
Bachelor’s of Art degree from Stanford University during March of
1988. Her major was Sociology: Social Sciences. In
the past few years, Ms. Washington has received a
Train-the-Trainer Certificate from California State University,
Sacramento. In 2013, Alice completed an A.S. in Graphic
Design. She also completed a Diploma in Web Design and
Interactive Media in December 2015.
Kirsten joined CIBHS in 2019 as a Project Coordinator for the
Practice Implementation team. She comes to CIBHS with a
bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento in
Social Work and a background in healthcare administration. She
lives in Sacramento with her two dogs, Moose and Bumi.
Hope Alvidrez is a native to the central valley and has lived in
Sacramento, CA since 1994. After working for the Lieutenant
Governor and the California State Legislature, Hope became an
employee of the California Institute for Behavioral Health
Solutions (CIBHS formerly CiMH). In 2011, she was promoted to
CIBHS’ Human Resources Manager responsible for better staff
and management relations, policy and procedure development and
payroll. Hope has graduated from the Human Resources
Certification Program at California State University, Sacramento.
Hope Alvidrez is a native to the central valley and has lived in
Sacramento, CA since 1994. After working for the Lieutenant
Governor and the California State Legislature, Hope became an
employee of the California Institute for Behavioral Health
Solutions (CIBHS formerly CiMH). In 2011, she was promoted to
CIBHS’ Human Resources Manager responsible for better staff
and management relations, policy and procedure development and
payroll. Hope has graduated from the Human Resources
Certification Program at California State University, Sacramento.
Diane, who has a passion for office administration and support,
comes to CIBHS with over 30 years of experience. Originally
from Illinois, Diane has lived in Wisconsin and Arizona, finally
settling in the Sacramento area in 2005. Diane has one daughter
who resides in New York, and is mom to 4 fur babies. A
lover of anything outdoors, Diane recently traded in her 2-wheel
therapy (Harley-Davidson motorcycle) for some Delta therapy,
boating on the Sacramento River.
Gloria comes to CiBHS with over 30 years of experience in
Accounting, Finance, Project and Department Administration.
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from San Jose State
University. Master Equivalent in Finance – General Electric
Financial Management Program
Interesting Fact – My parents are legal immigrants from Mexico,
who raised me to honor and respect this great country of many
opportunities. My first job as a young girl was picking fruits in
San Jose California to Holding a Top Secret US Government Black
Program Clearance.
Ericka Lett has been the Receptionist of the California Institute
for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS) for the past 4 years. Ms.
Lett has combined experience in the Federal Employment field with
the Defense Investigative Service as well as the Department of
Veterans Affairs where she served as an administrative
professional for over 30 years. She has developed a great passion
for making beaded jewelry, horticulture and taking long country
road drives. She is the proud mother of 4 adult children and has
six beautiful and spunky grandchildren.
Will Rhett-Mariscal, PhD, MS, is a Director at CIBHS. Dr.
Rhett-Mariscal has developed and implemented practice and system
improvement projects impacting California’s public behavioral
health system in the areas of health equity, health care
integration, prevention and early intervention, and SUD.
Victor Kogler is Vice President of CIBHS. Mr. Kogler has worked
in the substance use disorder field in California since 1971. He
served as Alcohol and Drug Program Administrator of Santa Barbara
County for twenty years and is a past president of the County
Alcohol and Drug Programs Administrators Association of
California. Mr. Kogler had been the Executive Director of the
Alcohol and Other Drug Policy Institute (ADPI) for 8 years prior
to the merger of that organization with the California Institute
for Mental Health which created CIBHS. In addition to his senior
management role, Mr.
Amy McIlvaine, supervised by Victor Kogler, has nearly 25 years
of leadership and management experience. Her primary areas of
expertise include innovation design, change management, process
improvement, and business operations. She is passionate about
mentoring and training behavioral health teams to become
innovative change leaders who are resilient, lead effective
change teams and implement changes that result in
improvements.
Amy relocated to Los Angeles in October 2017. She is now the
Director of several Los Angeles County SUD projects.
Pranab comes to CIBHS with over seventeen years of experience
working in public health. He started his career as a primary care
provider in Kathmandu, Nepal. He also worked in Doha Qatar,
doing public health research and community advocacy. In his
latest position, as a practice improvement coach at Integrated
Behavioral Health Partners, he worked with the LA County
Department of Mental Health and L. A.
Christopher comes to CIBHS as an experienced SUD professional who
has excelled in the rapid implementation and expansion of the LA
County START-ODS waiver. He has held positions in direct
service program management, compliance management, and most
recently, business operations, and he’s looking forward to the
further expansion of Drug Medi-Cal services for the County of Los
Angeles and the network of providers who are saving everyday
lives!
Charlotte Bullen, MSHCA, joined CIBHS in October 2018 as Senior
Project Coordinator for the Los Angeles County’s Substance Use
Disorder Organized Delivery System Project.
Melissa’s background and education is in Sociology along with her
experience in non-profit work, planning and developing
conferences and supporting a Board and C-Suite level executives.
Rick Degette is retiring as behavioral health director for
Stanislaus County. Prior to working with Stanislaus
County, Rick was the Director of Vocational Services
in Alameda County where he helped implement and expand the
Individual Placement and Support Model of Supported Employment
across the county. Rick brings more than 30 years of
experience working in public behavioral healthcare in California
as a direct service provider, manager, administrator, program
planner, and consultant.
Amy Faulstich, MSW started with CIBHS on December 3, 2018, as the
new Senior Associate/Program Manager for the Greater Bay Area
Mental Health Workforce and Education Collaborative.
Shoshana Zatz, BS, has worked with CIBHS since 2011. She has over
twenty years of experience working with nonprofits and vulnerable
populations on issues related to affordable housing, homelessness
and hunger and mental health. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in
Community Nutrition with a psychological/behavioral focus from UC
Davis in 1988.
After graduating from California State University, Sacramento in
1993 with a double major in History and Ethnic Studies, Kelly
started an internship with the California State Archives working
on the state museum project. She left the State Archives for a
year to work on a grant project cataloging the Japanese American
Archival Collection at California State University, Sacramento.
In 1998, she was one of the first employees at the newly opened
Golden State Museum (later known as The California Museum).
Gerilyn Walcott joined CIBHS in 2016 as the Assistant to the
Conference Planning Department. She was offered the position as a
Project Coordinator with the Workforce Development Team in
February 2018. Her career focus has always been on improving
Customer Relations and looks forward to implementing this
practice in her new position.
Executive Management
Executive Management
Percy Howard, III, LCSW
President and CEO
Percy Howard, LCSW is the President and CEO of the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Over the past five years, Percy has been a key player and leader in California’s drive to implement recovery-oriented and family-directed Evidence-Based Practice. During the course of his 32 year work history, Percy has worked for County Behavioral Health and Child Welfare Systems, Private healthcare providers, Non-Profit CBOs and in Juvenile Justice Settings.
Rick Goscha, PhD
Sr. Vice President of Programs
Dr. Rick Goscha is Sr. Vice President for the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Dr. Goscha has 30 years of experience in behavioral health including the provision of clinical services, supervision and program management, agency executive leadership, research and evaluation, and policy development. Dr.
Victor Kogler
Vice President, Substance Use Disorders
Victor Kogler is Vice President of CIBHS. Mr. Kogler has worked in the substance use disorder field in California since 1971. He served as Alcohol and Drug Program Administrator of Santa Barbara County for twenty years and is a past president of the County Alcohol and Drug Programs Administrators Association of California. Mr. Kogler had been the Executive Director of the Alcohol and Other Drug Policy Institute (ADPI) for 8 years prior to the merger of that organization with the California Institute for Mental Health which created CIBHS. In addition to his senior management role, Mr.
Jennifer Clancy, MSW
Director of Integration Initiatives
Ms. Clancy offers a distinguished background in health care system transformation. Building upon her experience in designing and leading a SAMHSA national technical assistance center, Ms. Clancy has a successful history of working with counties, statewide agencies, provider organizations, advocacy organizations, and health plans to propel large scale quality improvement programs and initiatives.
Robert Diaz, MBA
Director of Finance
Robert comes to CIBHS with a diverse background in the fields of accounting, finance and information systems. With over 15 years of experience, Robert has lead finance departments in sectors ranging from healthcare services to environmental protection. In the process, he has provided consulting services for prestigious organizations such as the California Society of Anesthesiologists, Audubon California and others.
Rick DeGette, MA
Director of Supported Employment and Education Programs
Rick Degette is retiring as behavioral health director for Stanislaus County. Prior to working with Stanislaus County, Rick was the Director of Vocational Services in Alameda County where he helped implement and expand the Individual Placement and Support Model of Supported Employment across the county. Rick brings more than 30 years of experience working in public behavioral healthcare in California as a direct service provider, manager, administrator, program planner, and consultant.
Gayaneh Karapetian, LMFT
Director of Practice Implementation and Improvement
Gayaneh is an Armenian/Iranian/American clinician who is interested in trauma-informed care, evidenced-based practices, individual differences and health care equity. Gayaneh has certification in TFCBT and PCIT. Gayaneh lives with her husband Malcolm, son Miro, and dog, Napoleon in Sacramento California.
Will Rhett-Mariscal, PhD
Director
Will Rhett-Mariscal, PhD, MS, is a Director at CIBHS. Dr. Rhett-Mariscal has developed and implemented practice and system improvement projects impacting California’s public behavioral health system in the areas of health equity, health care integration, prevention and early intervention, and SUD.
Amy Mcilvaine
Director, LA County SUD Projects
Amy McIlvaine, supervised by Victor Kogler, has nearly 25 years of leadership and management experience. Her primary areas of expertise include innovation design, change management, process improvement, and business operations. She is passionate about mentoring and training behavioral health teams to become innovative change leaders who are resilient, lead effective change teams and implement changes that result in improvements.
Amy relocated to Los Angeles in October 2017. She is now the Director of several Los Angeles County SUD projects.
Samantha Spangler, PhD
Director of Evaluation and Research
Dr. Samantha Spangler is Research and Evaluation Director for the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Dr. Spangler has 15 years of experience in research, analytics, and evaluation, including work with academic, government, corporate, and non-profit organizations. Dr. Spangler completed a fellowship in interdisciplinary autism research at the UC Davis MIND Institute and has previously worked as a consultant to state and local governments nationwide to provide planning, implementation, and evaluation support for health and human services initiatives.
Hope Alvidrez
Manager, Operations and Human Resources
Hope Alvidrez is a native to the central valley and has lived in Sacramento, CA since 1994. After working for the Lieutenant Governor and the California State Legislature, Hope became an employee of the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS formerly CiMH). In 2011, she was promoted to CIBHS’ Human Resources Manager responsible for better staff and management relations, policy and procedure development and payroll. Hope has graduated from the Human Resources Certification Program at California State University, Sacramento.
Diane Daniels
Executive Assistant
Diane, who has a passion for office administration and support, comes to CIBHS with over 30 years of experience. Originally from Illinois, Diane has lived in Wisconsin and Arizona, finally settling in the Sacramento area in 2005. Diane has one daughter who resides in New York, and is mom to 4 fur babies. A lover of anything outdoors, Diane recently traded in her 2-wheel therapy (Harley-Davidson motorcycle) for some Delta therapy, boating on the Sacramento River.
Accounting
Robert Diaz, MBA
Director of Finance
Robert comes to CIBHS with a diverse background in the fields of accounting, finance and information systems. With over 15 years of experience, Robert has lead finance departments in sectors ranging from healthcare services to environmental protection. In the process, he has provided consulting services for prestigious organizations such as the California Society of Anesthesiologists, Audubon California and others.
Mai Moua
Accounting Clerk
Mai comes to CIBHS from Colorado with over 5-years’ experience in the accounting profession. Her experience as a Staff Accountant and A/R Coordinator will be a great addition to our Accounting Department.
Monique Baca
Accounting Assistant
Monique comes to CIBHS with a great customer service experience and is looking forward to utilizing her skills and continuing to grow and expanding her knowledge as an Economics major.
Kyle Ducay
Accounting Assistant
Kyle holds a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance.
Conference Planning
Conference Planning Team
Theresa Ferrini, CGMP
Conference Planner Department Manager
Theresa Ferrini has worked as the CIBHS Conference Planner Department Manager for over 16 years. She received a Certificate of Participation from California State University, Sacramento, College of Continuing Education for completing the Professional Meeting Planning Certificate Program in December 2006. She is a member of the Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP) and was certified as a Government Meeting Professional (CGMP) on March 23, 2012. This organization named Theresa the Planner of the Year in 2014.
Evaluation
Evaluation
Samantha Spangler, PhD
Director of Evaluation and Research
Dr. Samantha Spangler is Research and Evaluation Director for the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Dr. Spangler has 15 years of experience in research, analytics, and evaluation, including work with academic, government, corporate, and non-profit organizations. Dr. Spangler completed a fellowship in interdisciplinary autism research at the UC Davis MIND Institute and has previously worked as a consultant to state and local governments nationwide to provide planning, implementation, and evaluation support for health and human services initiatives.
Sut Yee Shirley Chan, PhD
Associate
Dr. Shirley Sut Yee Chan is an Evaluation Associate for the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Dr. Chan has 11 years of experience in research and evaluation, including work with academic, government, and community health organizations. Dr. Chan completed her doctoral degree in social-personality psychology with an emphasis on quantitative psychology at UC Davis. Dr.
Faazreen Mohammed
Project Coordinator
Elyse Avila
Administrative Assistant
Johnny Hoang
Administrative Assistant
Evidence Based Practices
Evidence Based Practices
Rick Goscha, PhD
Sr. Vice President of Programs
Dr. Rick Goscha is Sr. Vice President for the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Dr. Goscha has 30 years of experience in behavioral health including the provision of clinical services, supervision and program management, agency executive leadership, research and evaluation, and policy development. Dr.
Gayaneh Karapetian, LMFT
Director of Practice Implementation and Improvement
Gayaneh is an Armenian/Iranian/American clinician who is interested in trauma-informed care, evidenced-based practices, individual differences and health care equity. Gayaneh has certification in TFCBT and PCIT. Gayaneh lives with her husband Malcolm, son Miro, and dog, Napoleon in Sacramento California.
Rick DeGette, MA
Director of Supported Employment and Education Programs
Rick Degette is retiring as behavioral health director for Stanislaus County. Prior to working with Stanislaus County, Rick was the Director of Vocational Services in Alameda County where he helped implement and expand the Individual Placement and Support Model of Supported Employment across the county. Rick brings more than 30 years of experience working in public behavioral healthcare in California as a direct service provider, manager, administrator, program planner, and consultant.
Shoshana Zatz
Associate
Shoshana Zatz, BS, has worked with CIBHS since 2011. She has over twenty years of experience working with nonprofits and vulnerable populations on issues related to affordable housing, homelessness and hunger and mental health. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Community Nutrition with a psychological/behavioral focus from UC Davis in 1988.
Alice Washington
Associate
Alice Washington is an associate at the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions. Ms. Washington was awarded a Bachelor’s of Art degree from Stanford University during March of 1988. Her major was Sociology: Social Sciences. In the past few years, Ms. Washington has received a Train-the-Trainer Certificate from California State University, Sacramento. In 2013, Alice completed an A.S. in Graphic Design. She also completed a Diploma in Web Design and Interactive Media in December 2015.
Robin Texeira
Sr. Project Coordinator
Robin has been at CIBHS two years. She is the Program Coordinator for the Evidence Based Practice and Evaluation teams.
Kirsten Martini
Project Coordinator
Kirsten joined CIBHS in 2019 as a Project Coordinator for the Practice Implementation team. She comes to CIBHS with a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento in Social Work and a background in healthcare administration. She lives in Sacramento with her two dogs, Moose and Bumi.
Human Resources
Hope Alvidrez
Manager, Operations and Human Resources
Hope Alvidrez is a native to the central valley and has lived in Sacramento, CA since 1994. After working for the Lieutenant Governor and the California State Legislature, Hope became an employee of the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS formerly CiMH). In 2011, she was promoted to CIBHS’ Human Resources Manager responsible for better staff and management relations, policy and procedure development and payroll. Hope has graduated from the Human Resources Certification Program at California State University, Sacramento.
Operations
Operations
Hope Alvidrez
Manager, Operations and Human Resources
Hope Alvidrez is a native to the central valley and has lived in Sacramento, CA since 1994. After working for the Lieutenant Governor and the California State Legislature, Hope became an employee of the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS formerly CiMH). In 2011, she was promoted to CIBHS’ Human Resources Manager responsible for better staff and management relations, policy and procedure development and payroll. Hope has graduated from the Human Resources Certification Program at California State University, Sacramento.
Diane Daniels
Executive Assistant
Diane, who has a passion for office administration and support, comes to CIBHS with over 30 years of experience. Originally from Illinois, Diane has lived in Wisconsin and Arizona, finally settling in the Sacramento area in 2005. Diane has one daughter who resides in New York, and is mom to 4 fur babies. A lover of anything outdoors, Diane recently traded in her 2-wheel therapy (Harley-Davidson motorcycle) for some Delta therapy, boating on the Sacramento River.
Gloria Hurd
Contract Analyst
Gloria comes to CiBHS with over 30 years of experience in Accounting, Finance, Project and Department Administration. Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from San Jose State University. Master Equivalent in Finance – General Electric Financial Management Program
Interesting Fact – My parents are legal immigrants from Mexico, who raised me to honor and respect this great country of many opportunities. My first job as a young girl was picking fruits in San Jose California to Holding a Top Secret US Government Black Program Clearance.
Ericka Lett
Receptionist
Ericka Lett has been the Receptionist of the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS) for the past 4 years. Ms. Lett has combined experience in the Federal Employment field with the Defense Investigative Service as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs where she served as an administrative professional for over 30 years. She has developed a great passion for making beaded jewelry, horticulture and taking long country road drives. She is the proud mother of 4 adult children and has six beautiful and spunky grandchildren.
Special Projects
Special Projects
Will Rhett-Mariscal, PhD
Director
Will Rhett-Mariscal, PhD, MS, is a Director at CIBHS. Dr. Rhett-Mariscal has developed and implemented practice and system improvement projects impacting California’s public behavioral health system in the areas of health equity, health care integration, prevention and early intervention, and SUD.
Substance Use Disorders
Substance Use Disorders
Victor Kogler
Vice President, Substance Use Disorders
Victor Kogler is Vice President of CIBHS. Mr. Kogler has worked in the substance use disorder field in California since 1971. He served as Alcohol and Drug Program Administrator of Santa Barbara County for twenty years and is a past president of the County Alcohol and Drug Programs Administrators Association of California. Mr. Kogler had been the Executive Director of the Alcohol and Other Drug Policy Institute (ADPI) for 8 years prior to the merger of that organization with the California Institute for Mental Health which created CIBHS. In addition to his senior management role, Mr.
Amy Mcilvaine
Director, LA County SUD Projects
Amy McIlvaine, supervised by Victor Kogler, has nearly 25 years of leadership and management experience. Her primary areas of expertise include innovation design, change management, process improvement, and business operations. She is passionate about mentoring and training behavioral health teams to become innovative change leaders who are resilient, lead effective change teams and implement changes that result in improvements.
Amy relocated to Los Angeles in October 2017. She is now the Director of several Los Angeles County SUD projects.
Pranab Banskota
Senior Associate
Pranab comes to CIBHS with over seventeen years of experience working in public health. He started his career as a primary care provider in Kathmandu, Nepal. He also worked in Doha Qatar, doing public health research and community advocacy. In his latest position, as a practice improvement coach at Integrated Behavioral Health Partners, he worked with the LA County Department of Mental Health and L. A.
Christopher Botten
Associate
Christopher comes to CIBHS as an experienced SUD professional who has excelled in the rapid implementation and expansion of the LA County START-ODS waiver. He has held positions in direct service program management, compliance management, and most recently, business operations, and he’s looking forward to the further expansion of Drug Medi-Cal services for the County of Los Angeles and the network of providers who are saving everyday lives!
Charlotte Bullen, MSHCA
Associate
Charlotte Bullen, MSHCA, joined CIBHS in October 2018 as Senior Project Coordinator for the Los Angeles County’s Substance Use Disorder Organized Delivery System Project.
Melissa Rodriguez
Project Coordinator
Melissa’s background and education is in Sociology along with her experience in non-profit work, planning and developing conferences and supporting a Board and C-Suite level executives.
Workforce Development
Workforce Development
Rick DeGette, MA
Director of Supported Employment and Education Programs
Rick Degette is retiring as behavioral health director for Stanislaus County. Prior to working with Stanislaus County, Rick was the Director of Vocational Services in Alameda County where he helped implement and expand the Individual Placement and Support Model of Supported Employment across the county. Rick brings more than 30 years of experience working in public behavioral healthcare in California as a direct service provider, manager, administrator, program planner, and consultant.
Amy Faulstich, MSW
Senior Associate
Amy Faulstich, MSW started with CIBHS on December 3, 2018, as the new Senior Associate/Program Manager for the Greater Bay Area Mental Health Workforce and Education Collaborative.
Shoshana Zatz
Associate
Shoshana Zatz, BS, has worked with CIBHS since 2011. She has over twenty years of experience working with nonprofits and vulnerable populations on issues related to affordable housing, homelessness and hunger and mental health. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Community Nutrition with a psychological/behavioral focus from UC Davis in 1988.
Kelly Bitz
Sr. Project Coordinator
After graduating from California State University, Sacramento in 1993 with a double major in History and Ethnic Studies, Kelly started an internship with the California State Archives working on the state museum project. She left the State Archives for a year to work on a grant project cataloging the Japanese American Archival Collection at California State University, Sacramento. In 1998, she was one of the first employees at the newly opened Golden State Museum (later known as The California Museum).
Gerilyn Walcott
Sr. Project Coordinator
Gerilyn Walcott joined CIBHS in 2016 as the Assistant to the Conference Planning Department. She was offered the position as a Project Coordinator with the Workforce Development Team in February 2018. Her career focus has always been on improving Customer Relations and looks forward to implementing this practice in her new position.