PTA Speakers Bureau

Partners Training Academy (PTA) includes a bureau of expert speakers in topics related to mental health, substance use disorder, and intellectual and developmental disabilities diagnosis, treatment, and managed care best practices. The PTA Speakers Bureau includes the professionals listed in alphabetical order here and many others.

Contact us to learn more about incorporating PTA speakers into your training events and educational conferences.

Carla Bradshaw, RN
Geriatric and Adult Specialty Team Registered Nurse
Training Specialties: Anxiety Disorders, Mood Disorders, Schizophrenia, Personality Disorders and Depressive Disorders, Dementia, Challenging Behaviors, Suicide Prevention, Accessing Services, Medications treating these diagnoses, and Community Resiliency Model (CRM)

Carla provides formal training, education, consultation, and technical assistance to long-term care facility staff that serve geriatric and adult residents with mental illness. She also provides education and training in the community on topics relating to caring for older citizens and adults living with mental illness.

Carla is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University. She has worked in nursing and human services for over 34 years, serving in skilled-long term care, emergency departments, quality management, and training.

Charity N. Bridges, MA, LPA, HSP-PA
Utilization Management Director
Training Specialties: Mediation Proceedings, and Service Decision Appeals

Charity is a licensed and experienced behavioral health clinician who has worked in the behavioral health field for over twenty years. During her tenure, she has worked in all aspects of care, from working directly with individuals in services to managed care functions.

Charity has participated in countless mediation proceedings and State Fair Hearings pending in the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). She has worked as a behavioral health clinician, community mental health therapist, crisis clinician, and developmental clinician throughout her career. Charity continues to further her development and growth in all areas of behavioral health services.

Charity is a certified health services provider-psychological associate (HSP-PA) and Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA), with a master’s in clinical psychology from the University of Kentucky and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Kent State University. She is responsible for consumer appeals and intellectual and developmental disabilities utilization management.

Jerry Campbell II
Integrated Care County Lead for Iredell County
Training Specialties: Whole Person Integrated Care (WPIC), Collaborative Care, Social Determinants of Health, Collect Impact, and Timebanks

Jerry works to provide education and information about Whole Person Integrated Care (WPIC), creating collaboration and linkage to the community.

Jerry received his Bachelor of Science degree from Appalachian State University. Jerry has 20 years of experience as a professional in the mental health/substance abuse/intellectual developmental disabilities field as a professional, directing programs and providing supports to persons and families in the community. Jerry is a Qualified Developmental Disability Professional (QDDP) and Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP).

Rhonda Colvard
Claims Manager
Training Specialties: Medicaid/State Benefit MCO Claims Processing

Rhonda is responsible for claims monitoring, reporting, analysis, auditing, internal controls, reconciliation and coordination of claim adjudication and claims payment process.

Rhonda has over 16 years of experience in claims processing. Rhonda is currently pursuing Certified Professional Coder certification through the American Academy of Professional Coders.

Tara Conrad, MSW, LCAS, LCSW
Lead Regional Director of Community Operations (Burke, Catawba, Rutherford)
Training Specialties: Mindfulness EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

Tara interacts with key community stakeholders in Burke, Catawba and Rutherford counties to identify system barriers, develop solutions, and lead Partners’ efforts in the communities it serves.

Tara has over 24 years of experience in the mental health field and has served in various capacities including managerial, provider monitoring, utilization management, grant writing, and program development. She participates on numerous community boards and presents on issues related to behavioral health and policy change. Tara advocates for individuals struggling with mental health and substance use disorders, especially trauma, addiction, and the juvenile justice population. She is certified in Mindfulness EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and serves as a volunteer therapist for individuals suffering from trauma and addiction.

Tara earned her Master of Social Work degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).

Jeffery Eads, MA, NCC, LPC
Regional Director of Community Operations (Iredell, Surry, Yadkin)
Training Specialties: Access to Care, LME-MCO Overview for Community Leaders, and Crisis Services Overview

Jeffery works with community and government agencies in Iredell, Surry, and Yadkin counties to identify partnerships and solutions to best serve citizens.

Jeffery has a master’s degree in counselor education and human development from Radford University. He is a National Certified Counselor and a North Carolina Licensed Professional Counselor. Jeff also holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Virginia Tech.

Doug Gallion, MS
Associate Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Clinical Services Director
Training Specialties: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Service Definitions, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Care Coordination, Clinical Supervision, Medicaid & State Services, Autism Spectrum Disorder/Traumatic Brain Injury Resources, NC Innovations/1915 (c) Waiver, ICF-IID Levels of Care, and Home and Community Based Service Standards

Doug has experience in the intellectual and developmental disabilities field and has worked in a variety of roles, such as direct services, case management, clinical supervision, and managed care. Doug helps develop new initiatives related to IDD services.

Doug has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and a master’s degree in Strategic Leadership with a concentration in healthcare from Mountain State University.

Tammy Gilmore, M.Ed.
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Clinical Director
Training Specialties
:  NC Innovations Waiver (service definitions, waiver overview, resource allocation), Person-Centered Thinking/Practices, Person-Centered Planning

Tammy Gilmore has over 28 years’ experience in intellectual and developmental disabilities program development and implementation. Tammy joined Partners in 2016 as its Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Clinical Director, and prior to this role, served at Cardinal Innovations in a variety of roles, including, vice president of community programs, director of developmental disabilities and mental health services, and director of consumer planning and support services.

Tammy received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Pfeiffer University and a Master of Special Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  She has a strong commitment to person-centered practices and continuous quality improvement, and strives to improve outcomes and provide excellent service for individuals, families, and communities in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Lynne Grey, MA, LPC, LCAS, CSI
Mental Health and Substance Use Clinical Director
Training Specialties: ASAM, Service Definitions, Service Delivery Options, Opioid Addiction, and Substance Use Disorder Treatment Continuum

Lynne’s professional experience includes providing individual, group, and family therapy for adolescents and adults diagnosed with substance use disorders. Lynne is also involved with Partners’ opioid addiction initiative, providing knowledge and training about treatment options for those struggling with addiction.

Lynne received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Arts in community counseling from Appalachian State University. She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Addictions Counseling.

Larry Holcombe, CCS, CSAC
Quality Management Monitoring Manager
Training Specialties: Relative as Direct Support Provider, Provider Monitoring, Dispute Resolution, and Plan of Correction Process

Larry has over 30 years in the substance use field, including time spent in the U.S. Navy as a Drug and Alcohol Program Advisor, a Residential Substance Abuse and Addictions Senior Counselor, and facility director of two Outpatient Drug and Alcohol facilities. He has worked extensively with various types of addiction, including drugs and alcohol, food, sex, gambling, adult children of alcoholics, and co-dependency.

Larry earned his Bachelor of Science degree in workforce, education, development, and training from Southern Illinois University.

Danielle Kincaid, LPC
Integrated Care County Lead for Burke County
Training Specialties: Whole Person Integrated Care (WPIC), Collaborative Care, Social Determinants of Health, Collect Impact, and Timebanks

Danielle works collaboratively with the Whole Person Integrated Care team (WPIC) and community partners to improve cohesiveness of the community and implement WPIC in Burke County. She educates providers, stakeholders, and community members of Burke County about WPIC.

Danielle has a Master’s Degree in Community and School Counseling from Lenior-Rhyne University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Danielle has over six years of experience in counseling adults diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness, completing comprehensive clinical assessments for children and adults, serving in a supervisory role, and facilitating growth and change.

Beth Lackey, MSW, LCSW
Provider Network Director
Training Specialties: Provider Monitoring, Relative as Direct Support Employee, and Documentation

Beth is responsible for the development, credentialing, monitoring, and advancement of the provider network and service options for Partners’ members. Beth has experience working with foster children and managing, reviewing, and training foster parents to deliver quality care to the children they served, along with managing crisis placement. She also has experience in quality management, call center services, and utilization management.

Beth has a bachelor’s degree in social work from Appalachian State University and a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina.

Selenna Moss, MHA, BS-HIM, RHIT, CHP
Chief Quality and Compliance Officer
Training Specialties: Quality Improvement, Change Management, Ethics, Regulatory Compliance, Leadership, HIPAA, Fiscal Management, Documentation Management, Fraud, Waste and Abuse, Quality Management, and Teambuilding

Selenna has a diverse background where she has served in various management roles throughout her more than 26 years in the health care industry, including Assistant Health Director, Human Resources Director, Health Information Management (HIM) Director, Business Services Administrator, HIPAA Privacy Officer, Operations Director, and Compliance Officer.

Selenna holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in health information management. She is a registered Health Information Technician, certified in Healthcare Privacy from the American Health Information Management Association, and credentialed through the Health Care Compliance Association as Certified in Healthcare Compliance.

Jeanne Patterson
Child System of Care Liaison for Gaston, Cleveland, and Lincoln Counties
Training Specialties: Child and Family Team Training (Part I), Adult Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid, I.C. Hope, Trauma Informed Care, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Question Persuade Refer (QPR), and Community Resiliency Model (CRM)

Jeanne is a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid trainer and I.C. Hope trainer. I.C. Hope is a program designed to help reduce the stigma of mental illness by teaching children ages 4-18 about mental health. Jeanne has a special interest in domestic violence and services for homeless children and adults.

Jeanne has extensive experience in human services, working in the school system, social services, with non-profit groups, and with a service provider. She worked with a local provider delivering Intensive-In Home services and Targeted Case Management.

Jeanne graduated from Salem College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and French.

Kathi Perkins
Jail Diversion Grant Project Manager
Training Specialties: Child and Family Team Training, Crisis Intervention Training, Question Persuade Refer (QPR), and Community Resiliency Model (CRM)

Kathi represents Partners with the Project Lazarus task force, and is the facilitator for Adult Community Collaborative groups in her three-county area. She has extensive work experience in matters relating to legislation for both the adult and youth populations, having assisted with drafting and implementing legislation relating to matters defining conditional releases for adults and defining competency in the juvenile court system. She has served as a senior consultant on a statewide multi-agency task force on matters relating to access to mental health and behavioral health services.

Kathi holds a degree in behavioral and social sciences and mental health counseling from the University of Maryland. She maintains her licensure through the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners.

Casey Pruitt
Lead Family Contact
Training Specialties: I.C. Hope, Child and Family Team 1 and 2, Darkness to Light, Question Persuade Refer (QPR), and Community Resiliency Model (CRM)

Casey works in partnership with the project implementation team (PIT) and participates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the System of Care (SOC). She provides support services for families receiving services through the cooperative agreement and advocates for families and the SOC principles. Casey coordinates recruitment and development of other family partners and provides training on SOC principles and applications of family-centered care. She works with Community Stakeholders and Partners’ Staff to promote youth and family, family dynamics, SOC principles when working with youth, families and the organizations serving them.

Casey graduated from Central Piedmont Community College with a degree in Applied Science Human Services with a specialty in Developmental Disabilities. Casey has held several positions in the human services field working with non-profit groups and service providers. Casey has previously served as a Behavior Tech in a day treatment setting and in a group home setting.

Andrew Schrag, LPCS, MBA
Regional Director of Community Operations (Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln)
Training Specialties: Community Engagement, and Integrated Health Care

Andrew engages with key community stakeholders, such as elected officials and government agencies, to identify system barriers, develop solutions, and lead Partners’ efforts in those communities. He has experience in the private sector providing treatment of mental health disorders to children, adolescents, and adults. In addition, Andrew has taught a variety of undergraduate psychology courses for multiple colleges over the past eight years.

Andrew has a master’s degree in counseling from Eastern Mennonite University, a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Indiana University-Bloomington and Master in Business Administration degree through the University of Mississippi. Andrew is both a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Professional Counseling Supervisor.

Veronica Somerville, MHA, MBA
Quality Management Analyst
Training Specialties: TOPPS 101, and Superuser Training

Veronica interacts with provider agencies within Partners’ catchment area to ensure they have all the resources they need to follow NC-TOPPS’ (North Carolina Treatment Outcomes Program Performance System) requirements.

Veronica earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Management from Winston-Salem State University and holds Dual Master of Business degrees in Healthcare Administration and Business Administration degrees from Pfeiffer University.

Dr. Bess Stanton
Chief Medical Officer

Andrew Walsh, JD, MBA
Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel
Training Specialties: Mediation Proceedings, Service Decision Appeals, and Documentation

Andrew has helped design, implement, oversee, maintain, and advise various health care dispute processes. Andrew has been involved in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including mediation and arbitration, and teaching ADR and negotiation at two law schools and numerous workshops and trainings in various states.

In addition to health care law, Andrew has practiced primarily in large, complex business litigation, including director and officer liability, audit malpractice, failed bank litigation, antitrust investigations, and securities litigation. As a council member of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Health Law Section and active member of the North Carolina Society of Health Care Attorneys, he has organized, presented, and written on North Carolina Medicaid transformation law. Andrew is an executive committee member of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s (ACC) Health Law Committee, and registered as a Dispute Resolver and author for the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA).

Andrew holds a Six Sigma greenbelt and licenses to practice law in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Andrew has a Bachelor of Arts in economics and history from Cornell University. His Juris Doctor and a Master of Business Administration degree were obtained from the University of Tennessee. Andrew has also taken non-degree graduate studies in econometrics, industrial organization, and regulatory economics at George Washington University.