2026 Conference Schedule - Detailed
Monday, April 27th, 2026
8:30-9:45a Registration/Check In
9:45-10:00a Welcome
10:00-11:00a
Where Evidence Meets Experience: Bridging Academia and Industry to Redefine Quality Care
This presentation explores how evidence-based research and real-world industry experience can be integrated to redefine and elevate quality care in mental health. It highlights the complementary strengths of academia and industry, offering strategies to bridge gaps, foster collaboration, and translate knowledge into meaningful clinical improvements.
David Rubin, M
Massachusetts General Hospital & Oceans Healthcare
Dr. Rubin is the Director of the Division of Professional and Public Education within the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He also acts as Chief Medical Officer for Oceans Healthcare. Additionally, Dr. Rubin is the Executive Director of the MGH Psychiatry Academy and is the founding director of MGH Visiting—an innovative program that mobilizes MGH faculty to provide on-site and virtual clinical services, advisory support, and interim leadership to external organizations.
Previously, Dr. Rubin directed the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program at MGH and McLean Hospital. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
His research in biological psychiatry focuses on the genotypic and phenotypic traits of social withdrawal in youth, particularly as they relate to severe depression and anxiety. He also leads studies in medical education, with an emphasis on innovation, design, implementation, dissemination, and outcome measurement.
Clinically, Dr. Rubin specializes in treating severe forms of psychopathology in children and adolescents, particularly depression, anxiety, and neuropsychiatric disorders. His experience spans inpatient, residential, day hospital, and emergency psychiatric care. He frequently consults at the institutional level to enhance clinical practices and improve patient outcomes.
InStride Health and Massachusetts General Hospital
Mona Potter, MD is a board certified child and adolescent psychiatrist and is co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of InStride Health, an innovative outpatient program that serves children and adolescents (and their families) diagnosed with anxiety and OCD. She also serves as the Associate Director of the Division of Professional and Public Education for the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Prior to InStride Health, Dr. Potter served as Medical Director of McLean Hospital’s Child and Adolescent Outpatient Services, where she co-built the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program (MAMP) and the McLean School Consultation Service. She also served on the leadership team of the McLean Institute for Technology in Psychiatry (ITP), where she helped pioneer their telehealth pilot program and the use of virtual reality for anxiety exposure therapy. Additionally, as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Associate Training Director for the MGH/McLean Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Program, she helped train the next generation of Child Psychiatrists
11:00-11:15a BREAK
11:15a-12:15p
Establishing Key Performance Indicators
Stephanie Weatherly, DNP, PMH RN-BC
Location
Stephanie Weatherly is the Chief Clinical Officer at Psychiatric Medical Care (PMC), a nationwide behavioral health provider. She has devoted her life to providing patient-centered care and teaching others how to care for those living with mental illness. She routinely speaks to large audiences about clinical outcomes, compliance, and improving access to behavioral healthcare. Stephanie holds a doctorate in nursing from Walden University, a master’s degree in nursing leadership from Western Governors University, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of South Carolina. She is a board-certified psychiatric nurse leader with experience in improving access to care, reducing the use of restraint and seclusion, and providing evidence-based care models. Stephanie has been with PMC since 2015. She was previously the administrative director at Parthenon Pavilion Mental Health Hospital in Nashville, the chief quality officer at Mary Black Hospital in South Carolina and held numerous leadership positions across multiple healthcare organizations. After years of directing clinical care in individual care settings, she gained oversight of multiple healthcare facilities. Her passion for individualized care has been instrumental in moving numerous organizations to a more patient-centered approach.
12:15-1:30 LUNCH
1:30-2:30p
Compassionate Excellence: Leadership Development and Performance Management
This session explores how behavioral healthcare leaders can foster high-performing teams without compromising empathy, humanity, or well-being. In an environment defined by rising acuity, workforce shortages, and complex patient needs, leaders must balance accountability with compassion to create cultures where people thrive. This keynote will highlight proven leadership practices, values-aligned performance systems, and real-world lessons from ambulatory and intensive outpatient settings. Participants will gain actionable strategies for elevating clinical quality, strengthening engagement, and developing leaders at every level.
Guidelight Health
Dr. Jenn Crenshaw is committed to building intentional cultures of belonging; this is one reason she was drawn to the opportunity to serve as Chief People Officer for Guidelight Health, where everyone has a seat. She has served as CPO in healthcare, hospitality, and professional services over the last 15 years. Jenn is recognized for her skills in cultural alignment, human capital systems, and change management, known for developing practical solutions while staying focused on both speed to market and return on investment. Jenn earned her Doctorate in Business Administration from Georgia State University in 2020 and serves as Adjunct Faculty in Executive Education with Florida Atlantic University. One of her passion projects is her community work with her husband, Shawn, who founded an non-profit to facilitate veterans helping veterans. She also enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and friends in both Florida & Virginia.
2:30-2:45p BREAK
2:45-4:15p
Leadership Across Levels: Using AABH Leadership Standards to Grow Individuals, Strengthen Organizations, and Develop Future Leaders
:This 90-minute session explores how the 2025 AABH Standards and Guidelines (Volume II) can be used as a practical framework for leadership development across levels in PHP/IOP settings. Moving beyond compliance, the session positions leadership as a core operational and cultural responsibility that supports quality and sustainability.
Aligned with the conference theme of Excellence at All Levels, the session examines leadership as a continuum—beginning with individual leadership practice, extending to organizational leadership behaviors that shape culture and performance, and culminating in the intentional development of future leaders. Participants will be introduced to leadership standards, competency, and readiness frameworks embedded in the 2025 Standards and Guidelines that support self-reflection, organizational alignment, and leadership development planning.
Designed for current and emerging leaders, this session emphasizes practical application and shared responsibility for strengthening leadership capacity over time.
Peter Thomas, PhD
Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health
Peter Thomas, PhD is Vice President of Outpatient Behavioral Health Services for Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health. In that capacity, he oversees intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs that serve 6,000 patients annually across five New Jersey locations. He leads strategic planning, program development, and clinical innovation, including the launch of Princeton House’s Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program, which has delivered over 225,000 telehealth visits since 2020.
A clinical psychologist with 30 years of experience, Dr. Thomas serves on the Board of Directors of the Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare (AABH) and chairs its Training, Research, and Publication Committee. He earned his PhD from DePaul University and completed a Clinical Fellowship at Harvard Medical School.
5:00-7:00p AABH Welcome Reception
Tuesday, April 28th, 2026
9:00-9:45a Coffee Break
9:45-9:30a Welcome
10:00-11:00a
The Role of Seed Funding for Stronger Patient Outcomes and Effective Advocacy
Learn the fundamental aspects of a compelling seed funding project, so that your program can advocate more effectively for policy and funding improvements
National Eating Disorders Association
Jessica is an avid social cause capacity builder. Appointed as the National Eating Disorders Association's Acting CEO in November 2025, she is leading the organization as it provides critical educational resources to individuals and communities, supports early intervention methods, and funds promising clinical research. As a consultant and nonprofit leader, she has helped organizations raise millions of dollars and increase their impact. She has been an Executive Director and CFO at nonprofits who are leaders in their issue areas such as the EB Research Partnership and DoSomething.org. During her first term at NEDA from 2017-2019, she strengthened financial operations, created impact measurement systems, and led the program and development teams to new strategic growth. She holds a Masters Degree in Nonprofit Management from The New School.
11:00-11:15a BREAK
11:15a-12:15p
Data Driven Decision Making
DETAILS COMING SOON
Douglas Newton, MD
Rula Health
Dr. Douglas Newton is an experienced clinical leader with a demonstrated history of working in integrated health care systems, large payors, and fast-growth behavioral health companies. His career has spanned multiple roles at Kaiser Permanente, serving as National Medical Director at Optum Behavioral Health, founding Chief Medical Officer at SonderMind and currently serving as Chief Medical Officer at Rula Health. His skill sets include clinical subject matter expertise and authorship as well as leading initiatives in quality, research and medical-behavioral integration. Dr. Newton received his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, psychiatry training
12:15-1:30 LUNCH
1:30-2:30p
Quality in a Digital Age
DETAILS COMING SOON
Ujiwal Ramtekkar, MD
Lifestance Health
Dr. Ujjwal Ramtekkar is a double board-certified pediatric and adult psychiatrist. He is also an accomplished physician executive and established thought leader in care model innovation, with extensive experience leading diverse clinical teams and integrating a continuum of care to drive clinical outcomes in academic, community practice and managed care settings.
Previously, Dr. Ramtekkar was Vice President at Quartet Health, a platform that makes it easier for patients to access mental healthcare tailored to their unique needs. Prior to Quartet Health, Dr. Ramtekkar was Senior Medical Director at Teladoc Health, a leader in whole-person virtual care focused on driving better health outcomes across the full continuum of care. At both organizations, he was responsible for developing clinical strategy, expanding clinical services, optimizing clinical operations and creating high-impact initiatives for clinician engagement and clinical quality.
Dr. Ramtekkar currently serves on the boards of Mental Health America, Project REACH at Brown University and the Center for Excellence for Child Well-being. He completed his psychiatry residency training at Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, where he was also trained in psychiatric epidemiology, and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ramtekkar received an MBA from Maryville University.
2:30-2:45p BREAK
2:45-4:15p
How to Build a Multidisciplinary Team
Building an effective multidisciplinary team is essential for delivering high-quality, evidence-based, patient-centered behavioral healthcare teams. Especially for teams treating individuals with couple psychiatric, medical, and psychosocial needs. This session will explore key principles for building a strong multidisciplinary behavioral health team.
Dr. Gerdes is a double board-certified adult psychiatrist and addiction medicine physician executive with over 13 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, clinical leadership, and healthcare strategy. Her experiences range from scaling a collaborative care model and starting a behavioral health crisis program at Northwell Health to building behavioral health teams at Cityblock Health, and overseeing care management
for HARP members as the Medical Director of Fidelis - Centene’s HARP plan in New York. Most recently, Dr. Gerdes served was the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer at Willow Health, where she developed and led the organization’s evidence-based clinical care model and clinical services. Dr. Gerdes is an innovative physician leader experienced in driving the development and implementation of modern behavioral
healthcare with a focus on value-based care, clinical quality, and population health outcomes.
Wednesday, April 29th, 2026
9:00-9:45a Coffee Clutch
9:45-10:00a Welcome
10:00-11:00a
Bridging Innovation and Practice: Real-World Lessons on AI and Technology Implementation in Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Treatment
DETAILS COMING SOON
Brett Talbot, PhD
Videra Health
Dr. Brett Talbot, a distinguished psychologist and technology innovator, stands at the forefront of integrating AI into behavioral health as the CCO and Co-founder of Videra Health. His journey in the health sector is marked by significant leadership roles, including Chief Clinical Officer and Executive Director across several prestigious healthcare institutions. With a Ph.D. from the University of Houston, specializing in health service psychology, Dr. Talbot brings a rich blend of clinical expertise and administrative acumen to his endeavors. His certifications in Lean Six Sigma and Healthcare Project Management further underscore his commitment to excellence and innovation in healthcare leadership.
At the core of Dr. Talbot’s work is a passion for enhancing patient care through technology. His pioneering efforts have led to the creation of the PHQ-V, GAD-V, and PCL-V, trailblazing AI-driven clinical assessments that outperform traditional methods in detecting depression and anxiety. These tools epitomize Brett’s vision of marrying technology with healthcare to offer precise, timely, and impactful interventions. His work does not stop at invention; as a dedicated researcher, Dr. Talbot has contributed significantly to our understanding of behavioral healthcare’s efficacy, focusing on system integration, monitoring, and sustained patient outcomes.
Beyond his professional contributions, Dr. Talbot is a revered figure in the behavioral health community, speaking on national and international platforms about the future of mental health services. His insights have enriched numerous scientific publications, and his expertise is sought after by healthcare advisory boards. Dr. Talbot’s commitment to advancing mental health care, backed by his innovative research and thought leadership, makes him a pivotal figure in the evolution of digital healthcare.
11:00-11:15a BREAK
11:15a-12:15p
new age of treatment, looking into the future
Christine M. Crawford, MD, MPH
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
12:15-1:30p AWARDS LUNCHEON & MEMBER MEETING
1:30p CONFERENCE CLOSES
POST-CONFERENCE ADDITIONAL TRAINING EVENT
2:00-5:00p
AABH CORE Training
The CORE Training is an intensive comprehensive overview of the technical and clinical requirements for operating a PHP and/or IOP. The training will focus on the requirements established by CMS-Medicare and The Joint Commission, as most other payers also follow these requirements that are directly related to the patient experience in a PHP and/or IOP.
The updated training includes all the new requirements that were implemented by CMS for Medicare that include the new definition for an Intensive Outpatient Program and the requirements for that level of care in their manuals.
CORE training will highlight processes and needed elements from admission to discharge. The slight differences for PHP, IOP and the intensified outpatient services will be covered.
Allison Kidder, MBA LCSW-BACS
Co-CEO, Compass Health
Allison Kidder currently serves as Co-CEO of Compass Health, a Louisiana-based behavioral health system. Comprised of free-standing inpatient and outpatient behavioral health programs as well as partnerships with local hospital systems, Compass Health serves over 500 patients each day and employes over 700 personnel at its various locations.
A licensed clinical social worker, Allison began her career with Compass Health as a therapist in a hospital outpatient department, providing PHP and IOP services. Before long, she was promoted to a PHP/IOP program director position; over the next 7 years, Allison worked in operations serving as an outpatient program director, regional manager, and hospital CEO. Having served on Compass’s EHR implementation team in 2014, in 2017, she moved into the role of Director of Information Systems, where she helped to finalize implementation and optimize Compass’s EHR and leverage other information systems to gain business efficiencies.
Allison has worked in healthcare for 20 years, with 16 years of experience in behavioral health and 13 years in leadership. Passionate about getting things right, Allison uses her experience in operations oversight, regulatory compliance, utilization review, performance improvement, and policy & procedure development to streamline both clinical and administrative processes.
Allison served on the AABH Board of Directors from 2014 to 2017.
Emily Hunter
President, Classic Behavioral Healthcare
AABH President & CMS Liaison
POST-CONFERENCE ADDITIONAL TRAINING EVENT
8:30a-2:30p
AABH CORE Training (continued)
The CORE Training is an intensive comprehensive overview of the technical and clinical requirements for operating a PHP and/or IOP. The training will focus on the requirements established by CMS-Medicare and The Joint Commission, as most other payers also follow these requirements that are directly related to the patient experience in a PHP and/or IOP.
The updated training includes all the new requirements that were implemented by CMS for Medicare that include the new definition for an Intensive Outpatient Program and the requirements for that level of care in their manuals.
CORE training will highlight processes and needed elements from admission to discharge. The slight differences for PHP, IOP and the intensified outpatient services will be covered.
Allison Kidder, MBA LCSW-BACS
Co-CEO, Compass Health
Allison Kidder currently serves as Co-CEO of Compass Health, a Louisiana-based behavioral health system. Comprised of free-standing inpatient and outpatient behavioral health programs as well as partnerships with local hospital systems, Compass Health serves over 500 patients each day and employes over 700 personnel at its various locations.
A licensed clinical social worker, Allison began her career with Compass Health as a therapist in a hospital outpatient department, providing PHP and IOP services. Before long, she was promoted to a PHP/IOP program director position; over the next 7 years, Allison worked in operations serving as an outpatient program director, regional manager, and hospital CEO. Having served on Compass’s EHR implementation team in 2014, in 2017, she moved into the role of Director of Information Systems, where she helped to finalize implementation and optimize Compass’s EHR and leverage other information systems to gain business efficiencies.
Allison has worked in healthcare for 20 years, with 16 years of experience in behavioral health and 13 years in leadership. Passionate about getting things right, Allison uses her experience in operations oversight, regulatory compliance, utilization review, performance improvement, and policy & procedure development to streamline both clinical and administrative processes.
Allison served on the AABH Board of Directors from 2014 to 2017.
Emily Hunter
President, Classic Behavioral Healthcare
AABH President & CMS Liaison