About Us

Increase capacity, improve care.

What We Do

We help to improve the quality of life and care for residents experiencing a variety of mental wellness issues, focusing on Co-occurring Disorders (COD), Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD).

Who we help

Our resources support skilled nursing facilities at every level, from the nursing staff who provide direct care to residents, to the clinical and administrative staff who interact with them.

Program goals

Develop mental health and substance use disorder resources to long-term care facilities and community partners.

Disseminate core resources to support nursing facility staff caring for residents with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Co-Occurring Disorders (COD).

Deliver mental health and substance use disorder resources to skilled nursing facilities (SNF) and community partners.

Provide customized technical assistance to nursing facilities. 

Use state, regional and national partnerships to amplify and sustain COE-NF work.

Our Team

Region 1
Steven Shaw Region 1 (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Region 2
Jornelle Blair (New York) Region 2 (NY, NJ, PR, VI)
Region 3
Chervin Galon Region 3 (PA, D.C., WV, VA, DE, MD)
Region 4
Sherri Creel (Florida) Region 4 (KY, TN, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC, FL)
Region 5
Amy Reeder Region 5 (IL, IN, OH, MI, WI, MN)
Region 6
Crystal Daniel (Texas) Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Region 7
Amber Jennings Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, NE,)
Region 8
Stephanie Smith (Colorado) Region 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY)
Region 9
Tara Bowsher (California) Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, CNMI, FSM, GU, MH, PW)
Region 10
David Rodriguez (Washington State) Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA)
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Behavioral Specialists

Steven Shaw Region 1 (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Jornelle Blair (New York) Region 2 (NY, NJ, PR, VI)
Chervin Galon Region 3 (PA, D.C., WV, VA, DE, MD)
Sherri Creel (Florida) Region 4 (KY, TN, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC, FL)
Amy Reeder Region 5 (IL, IN, OH, MI, WI, MN)
Crystal Daniel (Texas) Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Amber Jennings Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, NE,)
Stephanie Smith (Colorado) Region 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY)
Tara Bowsher (California) Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, CNMI, FSM, GU, MH, PW)
David Rodriguez (Washington State) Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA)

Our Partners

News & Events

This month’s newsletter focuses on Alcohol Awareness. Learn about the impact that alcohol and AUD have on individuals’ health and society as a whole….

This month’s newsletter explores managing residents with bipolar disorder and regulatory requirement considerations for residents with serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder.

In this issue, we highlight our new Behavioral Health Needs Assessment…

the center of excellence for behavioral health in nursing facilities (COE-NF)

Established by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the COE-NF offers Certified Medicare and Medicaid Nursing Facility Staff a centralized resource hub with easy access to trainings, technical assistance and additional resources, at no cost.

What We Do

We help nursing facilities to improve the quality of life and care provided for residents who are experiencing a variety of behavioral health disorders, with a focus on Serious Mental Illness (SMI), Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Co-Occurring Disorders (COD).

Who We Help

We provide direct technical assistance, evidence-based training, and resources that are appropriate for every member of your long-term care facility — from those providing day-to-day direct care, to clinical and administrative staff.