Karen Johnson, MSW, LCSW, has more than 19 years of clinical and administrative experience in child welfare and community-based mental health. Before joining the National Council, she was the division director of community services at SaintA in Milwaukee, Wisc. While at SaintA she was certified in the ChildTrauma Academy’s Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics and was integrally involved in SaintA’s journey to become a more trauma-informed organization. Johnson spearheaded the development and implementation of housing and supportive services for former foster youth and worked to strengthen systems serving this vulnerable population. As the parent of an adult with severe and chronic mental illness, she brings a distinct perspective to mental health and addiction disorders work. With both professional and lived experience, she intimately understands the inherent challenges providers and organizations face and the significance of ensuring those affected by mental health challenges and addiction disorders and their families have access to and receive high-quality, trauma-informed services. Johnson received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Laura Leone, DSW, MSSW, LMSW, has worked in the behavioral health field for more than 20 years, She has provided training and consultation on integrated care, mental health, substance use, suicide prevention, evidence-based practices, value-based payment readiness and other behavioral health topic areas. She has extensive experience in bidirectional integration, engaging primary care in mental health partnerships and in specific clinical treatment modalities. Leone has published and presented nationally and has held leadership, clinical, administrative, supervisory, research and publication positions at a Federally Qualified Health Center; in private practice; at an in-patient psychiatric hospital; and at McLean Hospital’s OCD Institute.