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
To Be Determined (TBD) Region 2 (NY, NJ, PR, VI)
Region 3
To Be Determined (TBD) 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
To Be Determined (TBD) Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Region 7
To Be Determined (TBD) 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)
To Be Determined (TBD) Region 2 (NY, NJ, PR, VI)
To Be Determined (TBD) 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)
To Be Determined (TBD) Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
To Be Determined (TBD) 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

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News

COE-NF Newsletter – November 2023

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News

COE-NF Newsletter – October 2023

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News

COE-NF Newsletter – September 2023

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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.

Learn more about us

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).

More About What We Do

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.

More About Who We Help