Speaker's Profile

John is a nationally recognized expert on the criminalization of those with behavioral health needs with nearly twenty years of mental health and substance use disorder policy experience at the local, state, and national levels.Prior to joining the Meadows Institute, John led federal government relations for the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) representing the interests of provider systems that treat children, adolescents and adults with mental health and substance use disorders. Before NABH, John served as Executive Director of the Treatment Advocacy Center, now recognized as one of the United States’ most influential mental health advocacy organizations. Under his leadership, one-third of states made substantial reforms to their mental health treatment laws with the Center’s support, and he contributed to the Center’s increasing influence in the mainstream of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) policy nationally. In 2017, John was appointed to serve as one of 14 non-federal national experts on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee.In his role with the Meadows Institute, John helps lead the Institute’s work on national policy issues as they affect Texas, with a particular focus on the transformation of crisis response and the intersection of the justice and health systems. He also works closely with John Petrila and other Institute leaders on the design and implementation of the Institute’s Center for Justice and Health.John received his law degree from the George Mason School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington & Jefferson College.