Each year the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California recognizes impactful individuals in the field of behavioral health in California. Continuing a tradition from last year, the Awards will be presented in four categories:
Partner Award
Correctional Chief Misha Graves has 21 years of correctional experience. She joined the Riverside County Sheriff ’s Department in 1997. She began her career as a Correctional Deputy working a variety of assignments while assigned to the Robert Presley Detention Center (RPDC).
In 2006, Correctional Chief Graves was promoted to the rank of Correctional Corporal and assigned to…full bio click here.
Brian Betz received his doctoral degree in clinical neuropsychology from Louisiana State University. He completed a post doctoral fellowship in geriatric neuropsychology at UCLA neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital. He has been a licensed clinical psychologist in the State of California for the past 19 years. Dr. Betz began his career as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology at the USC Keck School of Medicine…full bio click here.
Deborah Johnson was born and raised in Danville, Virginia where she attended public schools; thereafter moving to Riverside, CA. After graduating from high school, she attended Riverside Community College, earning an AA degree in Sociology. Ms. Johnson continued her studies and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of California Riverside, Ford Foundation Scholarship. After this, she received her Masters’ Degree in Social Work from the University of California at Berkeley, Carnegie Foundation Scholarship…full bio click here
Assistant Sheriff Jerry Gutierrez has been a member of the Riverside County Sheriff ’s Department since 1990. He has nearly 28 years of experience in Riverside County Jail Operations. He began his career as a Correctional Deputy and worked a variety of assignments while assigned to the Robert Presley Detention Center, and later, the Ben Clark Training Center.
For a longer bio click here
Storyteller Award
Jose Luis Orbeta
Jose Luis Orbeta works as a Health Worker ll for the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Care Team program for the San Francisco Department of Public Heath. He has been working as peer counselor for 6 years. He started as a volunteer group facilitator for Dual Recovery Anonymous and then was hired as a paid employee. In 2015 he joined the staff for the Humming Bird Peer Respite, the first peer run and peer created program of it's kind in San Francisco funded by the MHSA. In 2017 he became a Peer Specialist/Counselor for Richmond Area Multi-Services. Jose has been in recovery for 7 plus years. Along the way he has had the honor of being mentored by some incredibly wise and supportive people. He has literally risen from being homeless on the streets of San Francisco to being a full-time employee of the San Francisco Department of Health. For a full bio click here.
“I’ve spent my recovery in the public eye to help others who feel like they cannot help themselves, It was an honor to be recognized by my community for telling my story.”
Innovative Agency Award
Richmond Area Multi-Services
Founded in San Francisco’s Richmond District in 1974, Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc. (RAMS) is a mental health agency committed to advocating for and providing community based, culturally responsive and comprehensive services, with linguistic and cultural expertise serving the Bay Area’s diverse Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. RAMS offers comprehensive services in mental health, education and vocational training and serves over 18,000 individuals annually at over 130 sites across the city.
RAMS has been recognized locally and nationally, including by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SF-DPH), Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA) and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). According to the San Francisco Citywide Fiscal and Compliance Monitoring site visits, RAMS is "among the top-tier City-funded nonprofit agencies with respect to conformance with the Citywide Fiscal and Compliance Monitoring guidelines." Since the agency’s founding, RAMS has been used as a model for other organizations serving multi-ethnic communities throughout the United States.
Achievement Award
Marlies L. Perez is the Division Chief over the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Compliance Division within the Department of Health Care Services. Ms. Perez oversees the SUD licensing and certification, monitoring, and complaints for Driving Under the Influence Programs, Narcotic Treatment Programs, and outpatient and residential providers. The Division is also responsible for the federal opioid grants oversight, counselor certification and aspects of the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System 1115 waiver. Ms. Perez has worked in the SUD treatment field for over seventeen years; since the inception of Proposition 36. Her other experience includes the California Conservation Corps, president of a non-profit service organization, VISTA Volunteer, and authoring fiction novels. Ms. Perez has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in Organizational Management.
“We are honored to continue that tradition and shine a light on those in our state who are doing the tireless work to better the lives of individuals in their communities.”