ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, March 15, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Behavioral Health Link (BHL), dba for Integrated Health Resources, LLC, announced today Sue Ann Atkerson, LPC, MBA, has been named Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Atkerson, who has been Acting CEO for BHL since January of this year, will be stepping into the permanent role effective immediately.

Ms. Atkerson aims to foster and create crisis care equivalents to the nation’s rapid response system for individuals with medical emergencies by making care available to anyone, anywhere and anytime. “Georgia provides exceptional crisis care at the time individuals need it most, and I’m honored to be able to lead this BHL team of innovators at the critical front-end of the crisis services spectrum,” says Ms. Atkerson. After 25 years of senior executive leadership in Phoenix, Ms. Atkerson is relocating to Georgia to join the Atlanta-based team, which currently operates the Georgia Crisis and Access Line as well as providing and/or deploying mobile crisis services in all 159 counties.

Chief Operating Officer at RI International for the past five years, Ms. Atkerson has been responsible for a full continuum of crisis facility and consulting services in the US and abroad. Prior to that, Ms. Atkerson held senior executive roles at Terros Health, and Southwest Behavioral Health Services, two of the largest non-profit behavioral healthcare agencies in Arizona.

Ms. Atkerson will retain a role with RI International as Executive Vice President, further enhancing the strategic partnership between the two companies. Together, BHL and RI International deliver a full continuum of best practice crisis services, powered by customized software and technology solutions and real-time access to mental health and substance use services, diverting thousands from hospital EDs and justice systems to care in communities throughout the United States.

Combined BHL and RI employ nearly 1,800 staff and have offices in Arizona, California, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana (2020), New Zealand, North Carolina, Utah (2020), Virginia (2020) and Washington State. Both were leading contributors to the development of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Crisis Now exceptional practice standards in crisis care and the SAMHSA National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care Best Practice Toolkit, and their impact is growing through consulting, training and crisis immersion experiences.


About Behavioral Health Link:
Recognized for innovation by the National Council for Behavioral Health, the Council of State Governments, Harvard University and others, BHL operates Georgia’s statewide Crisis and Access Line; offering the nation’s broadest application of advanced crisis call center technology through their Care Traffic Control system. BHL also delivers and/or deploys 24/7 community-based mobile crisis in all 159 Georgia counties.

About RI International:
RI, founders of the Living Room model in 2002, deliver no-wrong-door crisis facility-based services across the country with rapid growth targeted. RI’s Campus of Connection model includes a strong peer workforce and surrounds the individual with support on their journey towards recovery.

To learn more email scarter@ihrcorp.com and/or karen.jones@riinternational.com.

Star Carter
Behavioral Health Link
+1 706-834-4598
email us here
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