About ABHW
Lead.
The Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW) is dedicated to advancing policy and raising awareness on mental health and substance use disorders. By advocating and promoting solutions on behalf of health plans to ensure everyone has access to high quality, evidence-based care, we are focused on reducing disparities and ensuring better outcomes for whole-person care for all individuals and communities.
ABHW is the national voice for payers that manage behavioral health insurance benefits. ABHW member companies provide coverage to over 200 million people in both the public and private sectors to treat mental health, substance use disorders, and other behaviors that impact health and wellness.
Founded in 1994, ABHW is a respected leader in the behavioral health and medical arena. Poised to effect positive policy change, ABHW provides thought leadership and advocates for regulations and policies that help provide high quality health care to promote healthy living and improved quality of life.
Our Guiding Principles
Integration of behavioral and physical health care.
Extension of access to high quality care.
Provision of evidence-based behavioral health care.
Reduction of stigma.
Expansion of the behavioral health workforce.
Realization of positive health outcomes.
Recognition of the value of prevention.
Staff
Debbie Witchey, MHA
President and CEO
Debbie Witchey is a seasoned association executive with extensive experience leveraging strong relationships with key stakeholders on Capitol Hill and the health care community to influence laws and regulations affecting all sectors of the health care industry.
An effective communicator and skilled administrator, Debbie served for more than 20 years as the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of the Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC), an alliance of leading health industry CEOs representing all sectors of health care. In this role she managed association operations and interacted and built rapport with health care organizations and government officials to achieve significant legislative and regulatory progress on priorities such as health care access and coverage, population health, and Medicare. Debbie directed HLC’s government affairs and grassroots operations including six regional field directors covering all 50 states, coordinating 200 in-district meetings and events with members of Congress annually.
Previously she built an award-winning community health program for a hospital system in Charleston, SC and served as deputy assistant secretary at the US Treasury Department in both a Republican and Democrat administration.
Debbie has a master’s in health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Duke University. She serves on the board of an MUSC advisory board and on the board of a women’s service organization in McLean, VA. She is also a member of the Women Business Leaders of the US Health Care Industry Foundation. In addition, she fosters dogs for Lab Rescue.
Maeghan Gilmore, MPH
Vice-President, Government Affairs
Maeghan has worked with local governments for over 14 years on behavioral health, health, human services, and justice policies and programs. Prior to joining ABHW, Maeghan was the program director for health, human services and justice at the National Association of Counties. She previously served as the Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Directors.
Ms. Gilmore received a B.S. in Health Education from Western Michigan University and a Masters of Public Health, health policy concentration, from The George Washington University.
Kathryn Cohen, J.D.
Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs
Kathryn Cohen is the Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs where she oversees federal regulatory advocacy efforts on the organization’s priority areas, including substance use disorders, mental health parity, telehealth, 42 CFR Part 2, workforce, youth behavioral health, suicide prevention, and crisis services.
Kathryn has over 10 years of policy experience working with federal, state, and local governments in health and human services, including behavioral health. Prior to ABHW, Kathryn advocated to expand access to health care services at the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (MLCHC), where she was responsible for managing the state legislative and regulatory agendas on behalf of the state’s health centers. She also worked at the Treatment Advocacy Center, where she worked to expand mental health treatment in numerous states and at the federal level. Kathryn has also worked as an attorney at the White House Office of General Counsel.
Kathryn received a B.A. from Brown University and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.
Angela Lee, MA
Director of Communications and Programs
As the Director of Communications and Programs, Angela Lee oversees all aspects of ABHW’s communications strategies, increases ABHW’s visibility as the leading voice for health payers that manage behavioral health insurance benefits, and leads ABHW’s Corporate Partner Program and Stamp Out Stigma initiative.
Angela brings 15 years of experience developing and executing strategic communications that advance federal and state policy. Angela has worked on a broad range of subject matters including mental health, substance use disorders, workforce development, economic mobility, sexual assault and harassment, and leadership development. Angela currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors and a founding member for the Diversity in Government Relations Coalition and previously served on the leadership team for Women in Government Relations’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
While she is from the Washington, DC area, Angela lived in Boston for 10 years before returning to the DMV to pursue an M.A. in Criminology from George Washington University where she received the Graduate Excellence in Research & Writing award for her thesis, which was published in a peer-reviewed journal a year later.
Georgia Scott
Policy Manager
Colette Alston
Operations Administrator
Colette joined ABHW in 2018 as the Executive Assistant. She is responsible for providing administrative support to ABHW’s employees. She also provides updates and responds to inquiries from ABHW member companies and corporate partners and plans ABHW events.
Prior to joining ABHW, Colette was the Administrative Coordinator to the Practice Support and Paralegal department at Squire Patton Boggs LLC. She previously served in a variety of senior level administrative positions at the Association for Community College Trustees, Eversheds Sutherland LLP, and Howrey LLP.
Request a Speaker
ABHW is an authoritative voice on key factors impacting mental health and substance use disorder care. With deep expertise in health policy, our experts offer invaluable insights into the current landscape and future trends of the behavioral health industry. We welcome invitations for ABHW to speak at your event. To submit your request, please complete the speaker request form.
Board of Directors
LEADERSHIP
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Adam R. Easterday; Chairman of the Board
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs
Optum
Brad Lerner, J.D.; Chair-Elect
Director, Public Policy
Manager, Behavioral Health and Enterprise Issues
Elevance Health
James A. Laughman, MSW, LSW; Treasurer
President
PerformCare, a subsidiary of AmeriHealth Caritas
Deputy Chief Psychiatric Officer
Aetna, A CVS Health Company
TBD
Director of Behavioral Health Services
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Wendy Welch, MD, MBA
Chief Medical Officer, Behavioral Health
Centene Corporation
Doug Nemecek, MD, MBA
Chief Medical Officer
Evernorth
Leah Newkirk, JD
Senior Counsel, Government Relations
Kaiser Permanente
Bernard DiCasimirro, DO
Chief Medical Officer
Lucet
Caroline Carney, MD
President, Behavioral Health and Chief Medical Officer
Magellan Health
Kevin Middleton, Psy.D.
Senior Vice President, Behavioral Health Operations
Molina Healthcare
ABHW Members
Shaping the Future of Health Care
ABHW members include top national and regional health plans that care for more than 200 million people in both the public and private sectors. Our member companies bring substantial knowledge and experience with mental health and substance use disorders, integration, patient-centered treatment, and recovery, and lead the industry in preventative and collaborative models of care. Read about some of the work our members do every day to increase access to and enhance the quality of mental health and substance use disorder care here.
Members learn about the latest trends and developments in policy, business, and research through meetings, newsletters, and regular member-only updates.
Our Corporate Partners
Supporting Crucial Behavioral Health Issues in the Nation
Our Corporate Partners have the opportunity to advise health plans about their public policy interests, focus on areas of common interest, and engage with key behavioral health executives to ensure access to quality care and improve overall health outcomes.
Corporate Partners Program
Become a Partner
The Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW) is the national voice for payers that manage behavioral health insurance benefits. ABHW member companies provide specialty services to treat mental health, substance use, and other behaviors that impact health to approximately 200 million people in both the public and private sectors.
ABHW’s Corporate Partners Program held its first meeting in 1999. The purpose of the Corporate Partners Program is to give companies the opportunity to advise health plans, through ABHW, about their public policy interests and concerns; to focus on areas of common interest; to interact with key behavioral healthcare executives; and to identify opportunities to work together.
Participation in the Corporate Partners Program does not reflect an endorsement of treatments, services, or products by ABHW or its member companies.