During her 40 year behavioral health career, Lori has had a strong interest in the therapeutic effects of self-determination, choice, and personal freedom. She did her dissertation on freedom, spending a month in Russia at the time the Soviet Union collapsed, and focused her inquiry in Soviet mental hospitals where the lack of freedom and choice was pervasive.
After a full career in California that included the Deputy Director for Community Programs of state Department of Mental Health, she re-located to Arizona where she accepted the position as Director for Adult Services where her commitment to recovery principles became a passion. In 2007, Lori founded the Recovery Opportunity Center at Recovery Innovations. Early in 2015, Lori left Recovery Innovations creating a new company, Resilience, Inc. which his now part of Crestwood. Being part of Crestwood has allowed her to learn more about using recovery and resilience principles and practice them in the unique environment of Crestwood. Most exciting is desire of Crestwood to learn and grow as more is known about recovery. Lori’s vision for the future is to continue teaching recovery principles and practices, assuring people that they can recover.

As the Senior Manager of Peer Services with the NYC Criminal Justice Agency, I am currently responsible for the oversight of the Peer Services Unit as part of the Queens Supervised Release program, which is comprised of two teams of Certified Peer Specialists and Recovery Peer Advocates. Upon being initially hired as a Senior Peer Specialist in anticipation of the 2020 bail reform laws, I was tasked with the development, implementation and expansion of all program policies, procedures, workflows, and onboarding/continued trainings for the Peer Services Unit, successfully integrating Peer services within a traditional clinical case management model. In addition to developing a separate Peer onboarding curriculum in alignment with peer practices, competencies, and principles for new hires, we’ve also developed a strong supportive structure for individuals with lived experience to thrive in, developing Peer Coordinator, Peer Supervisor and Peer Manager positions and the implementation of effective Peer supervision. The establishment of the Peer Services Unit has led to a holistic approach to the criminal justice space and has positively impacted countless lives.

Stephanie Bouillon, MSW, WIP-C, is currently a Training & Implementation Specialist at InUnity Alliance, she has experience collaborating with New City Mental Health provider agencies regarding utilization of peer staff, implementation of person-centered, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed principles. She maintained her NYS Peer Certification for over 6 years and worked not only providing direct service and running groups, but also as a Peer Trainer and Peer Supervisor. Her experiences both personally and professionally have led to an unwavering belief in the power of Peer Support as an authentic form of human connection which can enliven the human spirit. In addition, to being a program service which deserves continued support in its evolution and a place in every mental health program model. She hopes that by participating in the APS Advisory Committee that she can be a part of this ongoing effort to support the professional development of Peer Specialists.

I am a results-oriented and dedicated Deputy Director with a proven track record in overseeing and enhancing peer-based mental health services programs within Baltic Street Wellness Solutions. I am currently going for my bachelor’s in public administration and a minor in English Literature at CUNY Medgar Evers College. I will graduate in 2026. I have been working in various roles in Peer services for Baltic Street Wellness Solutions since 2018. These roles included Project Director of Adult Home Initiative and B.HO.P. E, which are both bridging programs.


Jonathan P. Edwards consults nationally on peer support services implementation and supervision and plays an integral role in advancing peer workforce development. Jonathan wears many hats; recently earning a PhD from the Social Welfare program at CUNY Graduate Center and a Doctoral Fellow in the SAMHSA-funded Council on Social Work Education’s Minority Fellowship Program; as an adjunct professor at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College; as a licensed clinical social worker and member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers; as a program consultant, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care, and Treatment; as a member of the National Association of Peer Supporters Board; as an executive member of the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board; a New York Certified Peer Specialist; and a person in long-term recovery.


Gita Enders  currently holds the position of Director in the NYC Health + Hospitals / Office of Behavioral Health, where she oversees numerous health care delivery system activities and concerns impacting individuals who use mental health, substance use, and co-occurring treatment services. Gita has presented locally and nationally on programming and supervision. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker; she has a Master’s degree in English (Creative Writing), a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and is a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP) and New York Certified Peer Specialist. She serves as supervisor to the Peer Advisor Program as part of the Public Psychiatry Fellowship of Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, and is also involved with the Community Access Howie the Harp Advocacy Center as a Peer Training Program instructor.

After 20+ years serving the peer community in various roles, Sara is now sharing the knowledge, strength and hope she’s acquired by offering trainings to experienced peers. She is an adjunct professor at LaGuardia Community College where she offers a 12-week training program she designed for prospective peers. She’s been invited to Europe numerous times to keynote at conferences and offer master classes on various topics such as Becoming your own Peer Specialist, Critical and Creative Thinking, Developing Resilience and more. She’s presented at dozens of conferences across the US including NYAPRS, USPRA, Alternatives and more. She also does private, topic-driven coaching.

Cheryle Hinds Leslie is a State Certified Peer Specialist, an advocate for social justice and a voice for peers. Cheryle is from the Bronx. She was her mother’s right hand for countless projects. Cheryle is a member of the North Bronx National Council of Negro Women for 40 years working on countless services. Cheryle helped start the North Bronx NCNW Child Development Center. In the Peer Movement, Cheryle graduated from Howie The Harp, and has been a part of Community Access, Bronx Crisis Respite, and managing Baltic Street Bronx Peer Advocacy Center. She has fought for peers in Albany with NYAPRS, Coalition for Women Prisoners, and the Supported Housing Network of New York. Cheryle sits on the Mayors Community Service Board & Community Service Board Mental Health Sub Committee, in NYC. Cheryle is the Entitlements Coordinator for the Jewish Board Brooklyn Supported Housing and Treatment Apartment Programs.

Yumiko Ikuta is a consumer and the Director of the Office of Rehabilitation in the Bureau of Mental Health at the NYC Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene. Her office oversees over 80 non-clinical treatment and rehabilitation programs, including supported employment, education support services, clubhouses, psychosocial clubs, peer support, respite, self-help, advocacy and outreach, as well as peer specialist training programs. Her experience in peer specialist education is extensive as the former Deputy Director of Howie the Harp Peer Advocacy Center and the former Program Manager of the Academy of Peer Services. Yumiko also worked closely with the NYS Office of Mental Health to develop Medicaid billable Home and Community Based Services and its delivery system. She worked for over 15 years in the corporate sector and for the US Agency for International Development at the Dept. of State as an economic development officer in several developing countries. She also started and operated her own wholesale and retail fine jewelry business on Madison Avenue in NYC. Yumiko holds a BA in Economics and East Asian Studies and an MBA in Marketing and International Business both from Columbia University.

Oscar Jiménez-Solomon is a mental health researcher and advocate who has dedicated his career to improving the financial wellness of people with psychiatric conditions through research, program development, training and technical assistance, and policy advocacy. Mr. Jiménez-Solomon’s commitment to helping others overcome unemployment and poverty stems from his personal experience of financial hardship and recovery.  Mr. Jiménez-Solomon obtained a Master of Public Health at Columbia University and an undergraduate degree in Sociology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. He is currently pursuing studies leading to a Ph.D. in Social Policy at the Columbia University School of Social Work. Since 2013 he has served as Research Scientist at the Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Oscar is the principal investigator of a grant from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to develop and pilot a peer-led intervention with the goal of building financial hope, improving financial wellness, and reducing distress and suicide risk. As part of his doctoral training he is conducting research at the Columbia University Center on Poverty and Social Policy to examine the impact of economic hardship on hope, life satisfaction and psychiatric distress. Mr. Jiménez-Solomon is Vice-Chair for the Board of the National Disability Institute (NDI), a national organization dedicated to improving the financial wellbeing of people with disabilities. He is also Instructor at the Rutgers University Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, where he teaches coursework for the peer support certificate. Oscar’s previous roles include Director of Community and Economic Development at the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS), Director of Quality Management at the Arc of New York State, and Consultant at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). He has authored or co-authored peer-reviewed articles, training manuals, and online training modules on economic empowerment, cultural competence, and language access. He has also authored book chapters, reports, empowerment videos and training manuals in mental and public health in the United States and Latin America.

With over two decades of dedicated service in the peer workforce, I bring a wealth of experience and commitment to mental health advocacy. As the CEO of Baltic Street Wellness Solutions since 2020, I’ve led the organization with a vision centered on empowering individuals through peer support. My leadership has fostered a culture of resilience, empathy, and community engagement. Recently appointed as the President of the New York State Peer Certification Board, I am poised to further champion the importance of peer-led initiatives in mental health.

Chacku Mathai is an Indian-American who became involved in consumer/survivor/ex-patient advocacy and peer support when he was 15 years old. Chacku’s personal experiences with racism, xenophobia, racialized trauma, suicide attempts, and disabling mental health and substance use conditions, including psychosis as a youth and young adult, launched Chacku and his family towards a number of efforts to advocate for improved services, social conditions, and alternative supports in the community. He has since accumulated over thirty-five years of experience in behavioral health systems in a wide variety of roles such as youth leadership and community organizing, executive and board management and behavioral health infrastructure development. Chacku is the Director for the SAMHSA Healthy Transitions Initiative with the Center for Practice Innovations and OnTrackNY, a Coordinated Specialty Care model for young people experiencing early psychosis in New York State. He volunteers his time in roles such as the President for Friends of Recovery – New York, a statewide coalition of people in recovery from addiction, as Vice-President for the National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy, and as co-founder of Healing through Hip Hop. He is a National Advisory Council member for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health in Texas and the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems. Chacku serves on several advisory boards for key research initiatives at Boston, Columbia, Lesley and Rutgers universities. Chacku is also an appointed member of the New York State Integrated Block Grant Committee and the Governor’s Behavioral Health Services Advisory Council.

Scott is originally from the Bronx, New York. He has over 20 years’ experience in the retail and management field. Scott enjoyed much success both professionally and personally. After both his career and personal life crashed in 2008, Scott experienced the worst times in his life. After considering ending his own life on multiple occasions and experiencing homelessness, Scott searched for assistance to restart his life. The second half of Scott’s journey has been filled with receiving both valuable assistance and education from individuals who tirelessly work in the mental health community. Scott was so impressed by these individuals he chose to “pay it forward” and has, for the last 11 years, worked in the mental health community to assist his fellow peers on their journey. Currently, Scott serves as the Lead Peer Specialist for the New York State Office of Mental Health at Bronx Psychiatric Center.

Steve Miccio is the CEO of People-USA located in Poughkeepsie, NY. People-USA is a peer operated advocacy and service organization serving people throughout New York State. Steve has used his personal experiences to help provide valuable insight in creating, leading and manage alternative peer operated crisis diversion/respite/stabilization services and has assisted in the creation of various complimentary peer services in NY and across the United States and Europe.

My journey in recovery started when I was 25. I am now 46. Authentic Peer support has saved me numerous times, and I am honored to advocate for and train in this movement in my current role. Before I started at MHEP, I worked as an Education and Outreach Training and Peer Coaching Specialist for Western New York Independent Living. Before that, I taught communications in higher education for eight years, specializing in public speaking, presentations, group facilitation, and PowerPoint best practices. Peers, students, and colleagues often refer to me as a “trusted peer” who can “sit with” individuals and empathetically listen to them. This is why I am here now, vouching for myself as to why the Advisory Council should include my and MHEP’s voices in their meetings. I learned to stand up for myself and others through authentic peer support and will continue this path if allowed to serve on the APS Advisory Council. I look forward to working with you all and continuing the “community of collaborators” that the Academy of Peers Services strives to create.

Denise Ranaghan shares a powerful personal recovery story that has driven her 20 year record of service in the mental health field. She received a Masters of Art and Education from Teachers College, CU and went on to hold multiple positions in the mental health system including Residential Manager, Peer Specialist, Rehabilitation Coordinator, Director of Wellness Services and Director of Assertive Community Treatment Team. While Director of Mental Health Association’s Wellness Program Denise initiated projects that collaborated with community organizations to bring mental health and substance use related issues into public discussions. She is a certified WRAP facilitator who has both helped to start and support alternative peer run self-help groups. While serving as the Director of Peer Services at the New York Association for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, Denise oversaw multiple projects that employed Peer Bridgers and trained providers on how to incorporate peer services into their organizations. She has presented on Peer Support, Trauma Informed Care, Voice Hearing, Cultural Diversity, Suicide, and the Human Canine Connection. She is the author of multiple essays on recovery as well as the book “Institutional-Eyes,” which profiles her experience in the military where she was first psychiatrically hospitalized. She is a writer and a pastel artist, currently living in New Paltz, NY with her partner and their five dogs and two cats.

Carrie Ann has been a Family Peer Advocate since 2015, first working at a community-based organization and currently with Families Together in New York State since 2022.  Her passion for peer support and supporting its workforce is what led to her holding a seat on the Board of Directors for 2 years before accepting the position of Director of Training and Workforce Development at Families Together; leading a team that oversees the credentialing process and training of Family Peer Advocates and Youth Peer Advocates across the state.  As a mother of three young adults with Autism, she struggled navigating the complicated children’s systems without support and watched as her children struggled during their childhood without the support and services they deserved.  Carrie Ann is dedicated to building an abundant, strong, highly trained Family and Youth Peer workforce throughout the state to support as many families and youth as possible who are experiencing similar challenges.

Skip has an extensive background in peer support since 2007, following multiple incarcerations. Formerly the Senior Manager of Peer Services at NYC’s Criminal Justice Agency, she pivoted in March 2022 to lead as the Executive Director of the NYC Justice Peer Initiative. Nationally recognized as a Subject-Matter Expert, Skip consults extensively on employing justice-involved peers, program design, and incorporating lived experiences. She’s also a Peer C.I.T trainer for NYPD and NYC B-Heard and consults with the Urban Institute, representing community perspectives in research

Len Statham is the Chief Operating Officer with the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services. He has worked with people with mental health and substance use issues for more than 25 years, promoting recovery focused services and service provision. Through SAMHSA’s BRSS TACS program, he has helped peer-run organizations from across the country increase their capacity to provide peer-run services in a value-based healthcare world. Additionally, Len also works with the National Development and Research Institutes Addiction Technology Transfer Center (NDRI-ATTC) and The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University offering training and technical assistance to organizations across the country providing employment services to people in mental health recovery. Critically, Len is a person with lived experience in the mental health system and this experience informs and strengthens his work on recovery and employment issues.

Carlton Whitmore is the Director of New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene’s Office of Consumer Affairs. The Office of Consumer Affairs is responsible for assuring the voice of those with lived experience is heard and integrated into all levels of policy and planning. Carlton’s primary function in this role is to advocate on behalf of individuals and families who may not have access to resources needed to support their recovery.