Crisis Services & Housing Innovations To Headline OPEN MINDS Core Executive Sessions At 2026 Strategy & Innovation Institute This June
Scalability, Growth, Competitive Advantage & Measurable Strategic Objectives Complete The Lineup Of Core Executive Curriculum
GETTYSBURG, PA. (April 11, 2026) — OPEN MINDS announced the lineup of core sessions and featured speakers for The 2026 OPEN MINDS Strategy & Innovation Institute. Designed to support senior executives navigating rapid technological, financial, and policy change, the Institute will deliver forward-looking insights on emerging issues, shifting regulatory requirements, and the scalable solutions organizations need to stay competitive.
This year’s core curriculum focuses on the operational, financial, and strategic challenges that are most top of mind for health and human services leaders today—from scaling crisis services and improving youth care pathways to executing strategic plans and sustaining housing supports despite funding cuts.
Breaking Into The Crisis Market will spotlight organizations that have successfully launched new services or expanded crisis infrastructure (including mobile teams, stabilization facilities, and call centers) to meet local needs. Featured speakers include Anthony Grimaldi, Chief Innovation Officer at Southeastern Integrated Care, and Emily Koch, Chief Nursing Officer at Community Bridges, Inc.
Leaving The Emergency Room Behind: Innovative Programs For Youth, will explore how health care organizations and community partners are building the infrastructure needed to direct children and young people in crisis to settings that offer a continuum of care specifically designed for them, reducing long emergency room waits and avoiding and one-size-fits-all approaches to care. Jennifer Craig, MA, MS, LPC, LCPC, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, President & Chief Executive Officer at ReDiscover, and Ellen McGuirk, Chief Executive Officer at South Coast Community Services will lead this session.
From Strategy To Action will reveal how leading organizations are bringing their strategic plans to life, building the internal discipline and adaptability needed to stay the course through policy shifts, market disruptions, and funding changes. Speakers include Jeanne Marshall, MEd, MA, BCBA, LBA, President at Easterseals Midwest, and Justin Chase, LMSW, MBA, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer at Solari Crisis & Human Services.
Housing As Health Care: Delivering Services Despite Funding Cuts will examine the operational and financial models that allow organizations to deliver housing supports that directly impact emergency utilization, care continuity, and long-term recovery in a market landscape with shrinking financial resources. Presenting this session are Evelyn U. Locklin, MA, LPC, Senior Director of Emergency Services & Residential Programs at The Harris Center For Mental Health & I/DD, along with leaders from Endeavor Health Services: Amanda Zwirecki, MSEd, Director Of Evaluation, Amanda M.V. Bartz, LCSW-R, Vice President Of Clinical Operations, and Rebekka Lipp, Director Of Clinical Operations.
Each of these sessions provides practical guidance grounded in real organizational experience, helping executives sharpen decision-making and drive results.
“The best strategies in behavioral health care are being built by organizations that are not waiting for perfect conditions,” said Monica E. Oss, Chief Executive Officer at OPEN MINDS. “These sessions highlight leaders solving hard problems right now and offer innovative approaches that other executives can adapt and apply in their own organizations.”
OPEN MINDS Circle Members who attend these sessions are eligible to receive credits towards the Leadership & Management Certificate Program.
Registration is open for The 2026 OPEN MINDS Strategy & Innovation Institute. OPEN MINDS Circle Market Intelligence Service members receive complimentary registration to this and all OPEN MINDS institutes. If you are a member, your comp code has been sent to your email.
For more information on any of OPEN MINDS’ educational programs, upcoming sponsorship opportunities, or media inquiries, contact the Executive Education Events team at events@openminds.com or 717-334-1329.
Premier Partners & Exhibitors
OPEN MINDS institutes are made possible by OPEN MINDS premier partners, Alera Health, Cantata, Core Solutions, Netsmart, Otsuka, Qualifacts, Spectrum Healthcare, and Trillium Health Resources.
Featured exhibitors for the 2026 Strategy & Innovation Institute include Alera Health, Cantata Health Solutions, CapGrow Partners, Continuum Cloud, Core Solutions, Genoa Healthcare, Grafton Integrated Health Network | Ukeru, mdhub, Medicus IT, Qualifacts, Radicle Health, Scioto, Simple Fractal, Streamline Healthcare, and Tarrrytown Expocare.
About OPEN MINDS
OPEN MINDS is a national market intelligence, management consulting, and marketing services firm specializing exclusively in the high-needs consumer market – mental health, addiction treatment, cognitive disabilities, chronic health conditions, elder services, health-related social needs, and adjacent markets within the health and human service field. The OPEN MINDS mission is to provide payers, service provider organizations, pharmaceutical, technology, and scientific firms that serve these consumers with the market and management knowledge needed to improve their organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Learn more at openminds.com.