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), Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED).

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), Co-Occurring Disorders (COD) and Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED).

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
Eugene McLaughlin (Maine) Region 1 (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Region 2
Ramon Monteiro (New York) Region 2 (NY, NJ, PR, VI)
Region 3
Ahlea Freeman (Delaware) 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
Jornelle Blair (Ohio) Region 5 (IL, IN, OH, MI, WI, MN)
Region 6
Faith Sharp (Arkansas) Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Region 7
Janeen Williams (Missouri) 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)
Created with Raphaël 2.1.0

Behavioral Specialists

Eugene McLaughlin (Maine) Region 1 (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Ramon Monteiro (New York) Region 2 (NY, NJ, PR, VI)
Ahlea Freeman (Delaware) Region 3 (PA, D.C., WV, VA, DE, MD)
Sherri Creel (Florida) Region 4 (KY, TN, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC, FL)
Jornelle Blair (Ohio) Region 5 (IL, IN, OH, MI, WI, MN)
Faith Sharp (Arkansas) Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Janeen Williams (Missouri) 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

COE Newsletter – May 2023

Over the past 20 years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized May as Mental Health Awareness Month. The Mental Health Awareness Month toolkit provides resources to promote conversations, best practices, and materials to support individuals living with a mental illness.

COE Newsletter – April 2023

The month of April which is Alcohol Awareness Month is coming to a close. This month of awareness began in 1987 as a public health program, organized by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD).

COE Newsletter – March 2023

The COE-NF invites you to register to attend upcoming trainings. Some trainings have seating capacity limits, so early registration is recommended. 

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), Co-Occurring Disorders (COD) and Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED).

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.