How Growing Strong Leaders Improves Behavioral Health Care

Strong leadership is essential to the future of mental health and substance use care. This week, host Mohini Venkatesh talks with Tami Lewis-Ahrendt, president and CEO of CenterPointe, about building leaders, strengthening organizational culture and helping teams thrive amid workforce challenges, change and growing community needs. Mohini and Tami discuss practical lessons on leadership development, psychological safety, feedback and growing through change. From preparing clinicians to become supervisors, to navigating mergers, to supporting staff through uncertainty, the conversation explores how mental health and substance use care organizations can invest in people at every level. Listen for candid insights on how stronger leaders lead to better care for communities. Listeners will learn: Why leadership development matters for employee engagement, retention and quality of care. How psychological safety helps emerging leaders learn from mistakes. Why strong clinicians still need training to become effective supervisors. What leaders can learn from mergers, workplace culture change and community context. Tami Lewis-Ahrendt has spent more than 15 years in leadership roles at CenterPointe. She has helped transform the organization’s culture, led the acquisition of the Campus for Hope, and guided the rollout of innovative programs CenterPointe's CCBHC. Follow for weekly conversations shaping mental health and substance use care.