Mark Liverman, EdS

Director of Wellness and Employment, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services | Mark’s 30+ years’ professional experience began as a team leader in the United States Army.  Upon leaving the Army, Mark worked for the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole as a parole officer, assisting people with reintegration into mainstream society.  He was promoted to hearings officer and presided over cases offering recommendations to the Board of Parole regarding whether a person should remain incarcerated or be released from prison.  This work involved assisting people of varying educational levels, many of who lived with behavioral health, co-occurring, and physical disabilities. During this time, he began his academic track where he would eventually obtain a B.S. degree in Sociology, an M.S. degree in Human Development and Leadership, and an Education Specialist post master’s degree in Education Leadership.  Mark began teaching criminal justice and general education classes for a local college and was offered a full-time position as the department chair of a Criminal Justice program.  He served in this role for three years before accepting a position as campus director at another college.  Over the next five years, Mark was responsible for managing the daily academic, financial and administrative performance of the campus. 
 
In Mark’s current role as the Director of Wellness and Employment, he works with community mental health providers across the state who use the My Health, My Choice, My Life peer-led health and wellness initiative and the Individual Placement and Support supported employment model to help individuals improve their health, wellness behaviors and find competitive integrated jobs. 

Amy Rader

Ms. Rader holds a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from The University of Tennessee and has 23 years of experience with the TN Vocational Rehabilitation Program.  She is a Certified Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and has held several positions during her time with TN VR including:  School to Work Transition Counselor, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Field Supervisor and Regional Supervisor.  Ms. Rader currently holds the position of Director of Field Operations.    

Commissioner Marie Williams, LCSW

Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Nashviile, Tennessee

Commissioner Danielle W. Barnes

Tennessee Department of Human Services
Nashville, Tennessee

Peggy Swarbrick, PhD, OT, CPRP, FAOTA

Wellness Institute Director
Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey and Associate Professor and Director of Practice Innovation and Wellness
Rutgers Health University Behavioral Health Care

IPS & Wellness

Session 1A Speakers

Peggy Swarbrick, PhD, OT, CPRP, FAOTA

Wellness Institute Director
Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey and Associate Professor and Director of Practice Innovation and Wellness
Rutgers Health University Behavioral Health Care

Dina Savvenas, MA, CPRS

Dina, a Johnson City, TN native, earned a BS in Psychology and an MA in Storytelling from ETSU.  She has worked as a case manager for victims of domestic violence and began working at Frontier Health as a Peer Wellness Coach for the TDMHSAS Wellness Initiative My Health My Choice My Life in 2015.

She received several honors in this position, including keynote status for the 2017 Art for Awareness event in Nashville and the “Advocate of the Year” award at the 2018 Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Conference in Manchester, TN.

Dina began serving as the Statewide Peer Wellness Coach & Trainer in November, 2018, and she is committed to serving peers receiving services in the state of Tennessee and also to her team of Peer Wellness Coaches.  Dina is personally committed to wellness, enjoys acting and theatre arts, Bellydance, and being active in the great outdoors. 

Dina Savvenas, MA, CPRS

Dina, a Johnson City, TN native, earned a BS in Psychology and an MA in Storytelling from ETSU.  She has worked as a case manager for victims of domestic violence and began working at Frontier Health as a Peer Wellness Coach for the TDMHSAS Wellness Initiative My Health My Choice My Life in 2015.

She received several honors in this position, including keynote status for the 2017 Art for Awareness event in Nashville and the “Advocate of the Year” award at the 2018 Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Conference in Manchester, TN.

Dina began serving as the Statewide Peer Wellness Coach & Trainer in November, 2018, and she is committed to serving peers receiving services in the state of Tennessee and also to her team of Peer Wellness Coaches.  Dina is personally committed to wellness, enjoys acting and theatre arts, Bellydance, and being active in the great outdoors. 

Leanne Crawford, MA, CPRS

Leanne joined the My Health, My Choice, My Life team in September 2013 as a Peer Wellness Coach at Cherokee Health Systems in Morristown, Tennessee. Leanne graduated from Tusculum College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.  In 2007, Leanne earned her Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management from Tusculum College. After college she devoted several years to working with children and families. Ten of those years were spent employed by the State of Tennessee as a Supervisor in Child Protective Services. Before beginning her journey as a Peer Wellness Coach, Leanne taught Psychology for two terms at National College of Business and Technology. During her time as a Peer Wellness Coach, Leanne has not only become a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, but also became a trained facilitator of that curriculum. Having struggled with panic disorder since she was a teenager then later in life overcoming an addiction to opioids, Leanne feels blessed to be able to help others realize that recovery is real. She enjoys reading, dancing, discovering new music, and watching/listening to her son play guitar.

Session 3A Speakers

Julie Fann, MA, CPRS

A peer wellness coach for Frontier Health in Johnson City, Julie Fann is a former newspaper reporter and adjunct professor who developed a passion for mental health issues due to her father’s serious mental illness as well as her own struggles. This led to a position as a grant writer for the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law in Washington, D.C., the non-profit which was at the fore of the de-institutionalization movement in the 1970’s. She had the honor of meeting Patrick Kennedy who has been an advocate for mental health throughout his career, as well as Reese Butler, founder of 1-800-SUICIDE. With a bachelor’s degree in English from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, and a master’s from East Tennessee State University, she considers it a privilege now to help those who are living with mental health, addiction, and co-occurring disorders in a four-county region in Upper East Tennessee where she was born and raised. She lives with her cat, Abby, and several house plants.

Carrie Trawinski, BS Ed, CPRS

Carrie recently became a Peer Wellness Coach for Cherokee Health Systems in Knoxville, TN in January, 2019.  She graduated from The University of Tennessee with a Bachelor’s of Science in Education and completed her national exam for certification in therapeutic recreation in 2013.  She went on to work as a Recreational Therapist in a residential psychiatric facility for several years.  She has spent time also working as a case manager for Sevierville’s indigent population, and was the activities director at an assisted living facility, before welcoming her first baby girl in September of last year.  Her role as a Peer Wellness Coach is humbling and meaningful, as she has lived with OCD and ADHD and has been in recovery for most of her adult life.  She finds nothing but passion in empowering and educating those on their own journey of recovery and wellness to live their healthiest and most positive life.  Her favorite things to do include kayaking, gardening, spending time with her new family, traveling and Tennessee Football-Go Vols! 

Kennith Hawkins,MA

Kennith Hawkins became a Peer Wellness Coach with Cherokee Health Systems in May of 2019. He received his Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Tennessee in 2012, and his Master’s degree in Literature, Criticism, and Textual Studies from the University of Tennessee in 2018. His interest in helping others is not new; as a teaching assistant in graduate school, Kennith found his most fulfilling experiences to be one-on-one interactions with students. Living with lifelong generalized anxiety disorder, he hopes to pull from both his personal and professional experiences to help people achieve their health goals by overcoming various hurdles through highly personalized coaching and support. Kennith enjoys reading, cycling, and gardening.

Dina Savvenas, MA, CPRS

Dina, a Johnson City, TN native, earned a BS in Psychology and an MA in Storytelling from ETSU.  She has worked as a case manager for victims of domestic violence and began working at Frontier Health as a Peer Wellness Coach for the TDMHSAS Wellness Initiative My Health My Choice My Life in 2015.

She received several honors in this position, including keynote status for the 2017 Art for Awareness event in Nashville and the “Advocate of the Year” award at the 2018 Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Conference in Manchester, TN.

Dina began serving as the Statewide Peer Wellness Coach & Trainer in November, 2018, and she is committed to serving peers receiving services in the state of Tennessee and also to her team of Peer Wellness Coaches.  Dina is personally committed to wellness, enjoys acting and theatre arts, Bellydance, and being active in the great outdoors. 

IPS & Wellness

Patricia L. Deegan, PhD

Patricia E. Deegan Ph.D. is a principal with Pat Deegan & Associates. For over 30 years Pat has been a thought leader and disruptive innovator in the field of behavioral health recovery. Pat founded a company run by and for people in recovery. The mission: To safeguard human dignity by bringing individual voice and choice to the center of the clinical care team. Toward this end she developed the CommonGround Program that includes the award winning CommonGround software, the online Recovery Library, the CommonGround Academy for peers and practitioners, and the Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation. Since 2009 Pat has worked as a consultant helping to develop and evolve the OnTrackNY model for coordinated specialty care teams for young folks experiencing early psychosis. Pat is an activist in the disability rights movement and has lived her own journey of recovery after being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager. She has held a number of academic appointments, has numerous publications, and has carried a message of hope for recovery to audiences around the world. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Duquesne University.

Nichole Phillips

Nichole Phillips is a Statewide IPS Trainer/Supervisor in Tennessee. In her role, she provides support and technical assistance to agencies across the state. She was first introduced to IPS while working as an Employment Specialist at Park Center in Nashville. Prior to her time at Park Center, Nichole worked at Youth Villages as an Intercept Counselor before becominga Transitional Living Specialist. She is an APSE Certified Employment Support Professional, a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner, and is certified in Individual Placement and Support. Nichole is a graduate of Auburn University where she studied Human Development and Family Studies.

Matt Yancey, LCSW, MPA

Deputy Commissioner
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Nashville, Tennessee

Amy Rader

Ms. Rader holds a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from The University of Tennessee and has 23 years of experience with the TN Vocational Rehabilitation Program.  She is a Certified Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and has held several positions during her time with TN VR including:  School to Work Transition Counselor, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Field Supervisor and Regional Supervisor.  Ms. Rader currently holds the position of Director of Field Operations.    

Cherrell Campbell-Street

Deputy Commissioner
Programs and Services 
Tennessee Department of Human Services
Nashville, Tennessee

1. Learners will be able to apply a recovery-oriented risk framework in their mental health practice;
2. Learners will be able to differentiate the Duty to Care from the Dignity of Risk; and,
3. Learners will understand how to navigate the Neglect/Overprotect Continuum.

IPS & Wellness

Session 1B Speakers

Tiffanie Whitaker

Tiffanie Whitaker is one of three Statewide IPS Trainers in Tennessee. She provides training and technical assistance to programs across the state who utilize the IPS model of Supported Employment. She spent three years as a Supported Employment and Education Specialist implementing IPS in a First Episode Psychosis grant program prior to moving into her current role as an IPS Trainer. She also has experience in child and adolescent mental health case management. Tiffanie holds a B.S. in Psychology from Austin Peay State University, is certified in IPS by the IPS Employment Center, and is licensed and certified as a Pharmacy Technician. Tiffanie and her husband currently reside in Springfield, Tennessee.

Patricia L. Deegan, PhD

Patricia E. Deegan Ph.D. is a principal with Pat Deegan & Associates. For over 30 years Pat has been a thought leader and disruptive innovator in the field of behavioral health recovery. Pat founded a company run by and for people in recovery. The mission: To safeguard human dignity by bringing individual voice and choice to the center of the clinical care team. Toward this end she developed the CommonGround Program that includes the award winning CommonGround software, the online Recovery Library, the CommonGround Academy for peers and practitioners, and the Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation. Since 2009 Pat has worked as a consultant helping to develop and evolve the OnTrackNY model for coordinated specialty care teams for young folks experiencing early psychosis. Pat is an activist in the disability rights movement and has lived her own journey of recovery after being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager. She has held a number of academic appointments, has numerous publications, and has carried a message of hope for recovery to audiences around the world. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Duquesne University.

Missy Rufo CMS, CPRP, CPMC

Director of Coaching and E-Learning
Pat Deegan, PhD and Associates, LLC
Byfield, Massachusetts
 
Missy Rufo, MS, CPRP has been working for Pat Deegan PhD & Associates, LLC since 2015. She has worked in the Mental Health field since 2004 as a psych rehab specialist and program director. Missy holds a Master's Degree in Psychology and is a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Specialist. In addition to her work with PDA, Missy also works part-time in a residential program, providing skills training and support to the individuals in the program.  
 
As the Director of Coaching and E-Learning, Missy works with the team to create tools and resources, trains and supports Certified Personal Medicine Coaches, and coaches program staff who use CommonGround and RecoveryLibrary. 

Dina Savvenas, MA, CPRS

Dina, a Johnson City, TN native, earned a BS in Psychology and an MA in Storytelling from ETSU.  She has worked as a case manager for victims of domestic violence and began working at Frontier Health as a Peer Wellness Coach for the TDMHSAS Wellness Initiative My Health My Choice My Life in 2015.

She received several honors in this position, including keynote status for the 2017 Art for Awareness event in Nashville and the “Advocate of the Year” award at the 2018 Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Conference in Manchester, TN.

Dina began serving as the Statewide Peer Wellness Coach & Trainer in November, 2018, and she is committed to serving peers receiving services in the state of Tennessee and also to her team of Peer Wellness Coaches.  Dina is personally committed to wellness, enjoys acting and theatre arts, Bellydance, and being active in the great outdoors. 

Leanne Crawford, MA, CPRS

Leanne joined the My Health, My Choice, My Life team in September 2013 as a Peer Wellness Coach at Cherokee Health Systems in Morristown, Tennessee. Leanne graduated from Tusculum College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.  In 2007, Leanne earned her Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management from Tusculum College. After college she devoted several years to working with children and families. Ten of those years were spent employed by the State of Tennessee as a Supervisor in Child Protective Services. Before beginning her journey as a Peer Wellness Coach, Leanne taught Psychology for two terms at National College of Business and Technology. During her time as a Peer Wellness Coach, Leanne has not only become a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, but also became a trained facilitator of that curriculum. Having struggled with panic disorder since she was a teenager then later in life overcoming an addiction to opioids, Leanne feels blessed to be able to help others realize that recovery is real. She enjoys reading, dancing, discovering new music, and watching/listening to her son play guitar.

Carrie Trawinski, BS Ed, CPRS

Carrie recently became a Peer Wellness Coach for Cherokee Health Systems in Knoxville, TN in January, 2019.  She graduated from The University of Tennessee with a Bachelor’s of Science in Education and completed her national exam for certification in therapeutic recreation in 2013.  She went on to work as a Recreational Therapist in a residential psychiatric facility for several years.  She has spent time also working as a case manager for Sevierville’s indigent population, and was the activities director at an assisted living facility, before welcoming her first baby girl in September of last year.  Her role as a Peer Wellness Coach is humbling and meaningful, as she has lived with OCD and ADHD and has been in recovery for most of her adult life.  She finds nothing but passion in empowering and educating those on their own journey of recovery and wellness to live their healthiest and most positive life.  Her favorite things to do include kayaking, gardening, spending time with her new family, traveling and Tennessee Football-Go Vols! 

Dina Savvenas, MA, CPRS

Dina, a Johnson City, TN native, earned a BS in Psychology and an MA in Storytelling from ETSU.  She has worked as a case manager for victims of domestic violence and began working at Frontier Health as a Peer Wellness Coach for the TDMHSAS Wellness Initiative My Health My Choice My Life in 2015.

She received several honors in this position, including keynote status for the 2017 Art for Awareness event in Nashville and the “Advocate of the Year” award at the 2018 Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Conference in Manchester, TN.

Dina began serving as the Statewide Peer Wellness Coach & Trainer in November, 2018, and she is committed to serving peers receiving services in the state of Tennessee and also to her team of Peer Wellness Coaches.  Dina is personally committed to wellness, enjoys acting and theatre arts, Bellydance, and being active in the great outdoors. 

IPS & Wellness

Mark Liverman, EdS

Director of Wellness and Employment, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services | Mark’s 30+ years’ professional experience began as a team leader in the United States Army.  Upon leaving the Army, Mark worked for the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole as a parole officer, assisting people with reintegration into mainstream society.  He was promoted to hearings officer and presided over cases offering recommendations to the Board of Parole regarding whether a person should remain incarcerated or be released from prison.  This work involved assisting people of varying educational levels, many of who lived with behavioral health, co-occurring, and physical disabilities. During this time, he began his academic track where he would eventually obtain a B.S. degree in Sociology, an M.S. degree in Human Development and Leadership, and an Education Specialist post master’s degree in Education Leadership.  Mark began teaching criminal justice and general education classes for a local college and was offered a full-time position as the department chair of a Criminal Justice program.  He served in this role for three years before accepting a position as campus director at another college.  Over the next five years, Mark was responsible for managing the daily academic, financial and administrative performance of the campus. 
 
In Mark’s current role as the Director of Wellness and Employment, he works with community mental health providers across the state who use the My Health, My Choice, My Life peer-led health and wellness initiative and the Individual Placement and Support supported employment model to help individuals improve their health, wellness behaviors and find competitive integrated jobs. 

Rob Cotterman, MS

Assistant Commissioner 
Mental Health Services
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Nashville, Tennessee

Amy Rader

Ms. Rader holds a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from The University of Tennessee and has 23 years of experience with the TN Vocational Rehabilitation Program.  She is a Certified Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and has held several positions during her time with TN VR including:  School to Work Transition Counselor, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Field Supervisor and Regional Supervisor.  Ms. Rader currently holds the position of Director of Field Operations.    

Amanda Johnson

Assistant Commissioner
Rehabilitation Services
Tennessee Department of Human Services
Nashville, Tennessee

Ryan Jolley

Ryan Jolley serves as the Director of Business Services for Tennessee’s Vocational Rehabilitation program, leading a team of consultants across the state to serve employers in their efforts to recruit and retain a workforce inclusive of individuals with disabilities. Prior to joining the Vov Rehab team, Ryan led student employment programming at Trevecca University. In addition, Ryan led a small business startup int he coffee industry called 1901 Coffee. In partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools, he established a work-based learning program through which youth with disabilities were able to work in the coffee shop setting. Ryan’s work remains focused on developing a diverse workforce inclusive of individuals with disabilities and beyond.  

Monty Burks, PhD

Monty Burks, CPRS, PLC, PhD, serves as the Director of Faith-Based Initiatives for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, where his role is engaging and connecting Tennessee’s faith communities to the behavioral health care system, with the goal of expanding addiction and mental health support services across the state. He also oversees the Tennessee Lifeline Peer Project, a state program aimed at reducing the stigma associated with people who suffer from addiction and the Tennessee Faith Based Community Coordinators, whom seek to help congregations build their capacity to combat addiction and mental health issues in their respective community.

Dr. Burks earned his master’s degree in criminal justice from Middle Tennessee State University, his Doctorate in theology from Heritage, and wears the honorable badge of Certified Peer Recovery Specialist. Burks has more than 20 years’ experience working with the criminal justice system in various roles, including adjunct criminal justice professor at Motlow State Community College, Criminal Justice Student Research Analyst at Middle Tennessee State University, and Criminal Justice Program coordinator at adjunct professor at Tennessee State University.

Previously, Dr. Burks served as a program coordinator, job placement specialist, and cognitive skills instructor with Middle Tennessee Rural Reentry, earning national recognition as the “Outstanding Professional of the Year” from the Southern Criminal Justice Association for helping ex-offenders break down employment barriers.   

Dr. Burks belongs to several professional organizations including the Tennessee Supreme Court: Access to Justice Commission, Tennessee Government Leadership Council, Southern Criminal Justice Association (SCJA), Child Development and Family Studies Advisory Board (MTSU), Meharry Vanderbilt Faith Alliance, and The Davidson County Behavioral Health Advisory Committee.  

2019 Speaking Engagements and Highlights:

• 2020 Keynote address at the Rural Health Association of TN online conference. Nashville, T.N.

• 2020 Panelist at 2nd Annual Faith and Justice Summit at University of the South: Sewanee, T.N.

• 2020 Special Guest of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Launch of the Rural Community Action Guide Washington, D.C. 

• 2020 Keynote address at the Annual Children’s Rights Event in Chattanooga, Tn
• 2020 Virtual Veterans Suicide Prevention Summit: Washington, D.C.
• 2020 Rx Virtual Summit:  Nashville, Tn
• 2019 Keynote Presenter: Cocaine, Meth & Stimulant Summit, Miami, FL
• 2019 Keynote Address: WIOA-Department of Labor Conference, Nashville, TN
• 2019 Guest Speaker: Martin Luther King Jr. Appreciation Ceremony, Nashville, TN
• 2019 Keynote Presenter:  Ballad Health Care Opioid Taskforce Collaborative
• 2019 Keynote Speaker: Faith and Recovery Conference-Campbell University, NC
• 2019 Guest Panelist: Coming Together for Service Members, Veterans, and their Families: Rural Community Approaches to Suicide Prevention, Washington, D.C.
• 2019 Keynote Address at the “Impact of Opioids and Addiction on Minorities in Indiana” conference in Indianapolis, IN
• 2019 Guest Speaker with President Donald J. Trump: Rx and Heroin Summit-Atlanta, GA
• 2019 Guest Panelist: ACES Summit- Union University, Jackson, TN
• 2019 Key Note Address: Arkansas Rural Health Conference , Little Rock, AR
• 2019 Morning Keynote: Tennessee Department of Health Faith Summit
• 2019 Keynote Speaker AIM Youth Conference:  Church of God in Christ, Murfreesboro, TN

Tyler Bishop

Tyler Bishop is an associate at the law firm Perkins Coie, where he currently works on voting and civil rights cases. Tyler grew up in Morristown, Tennessee and attended Vanderbilt University, where he graduated in 2015. While he was in law school, Tyler worked in the Stanford Law Clinic and focused exclusively on employment discrimination cases. Last year, the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear Tyler’s client’s case. In a 6-3 opinion, the Court held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects LGBTQ+ employees from discrimination in the workplace nationwide. Tyler has also held roles at the ACLU and the Civil Rights division of the California attorney general’s office, and he participates in various LGBTQ+ and Black lawyer resource and support groups.