Ross Robinson brings over 40 years of experience in the behavioral health industry to the OPEN MINDS team, with expertise in strategic planning and organizational development. Mr. Robinson has served in the health and human services fields of adult and child mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, substance use disorders and juvenile corrections. He currently serves as a Senior Associate for OPEN MINDS.

Mr. Robinson previously served as the Executive Director for Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disability Centers in Kerrville, Texas. In his role at Hill Country, Mr. Robinson lead the organization which provides behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disability services as a Local Authority for 19 counties covering 23,000 square miles, from Austin and San Antonio to the Mexico border. Mr. Robinson and his team at Hill Country executed the implementation of a person-centered culture for employees and persons of service alike.

Prior to his role at Hill Country, Mr. Robinson served as the Director of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Policy, Disaster Behavioral Health, and Tobacco Cessation with the Department of State Health Services in Texas. In this role, Mr. Robinson also served as the Department’s behavioral health ambassador to the Alabama Coushatta and Tigua Native American nations in Texas.

Mr. Robinson has also worked in direct service and clinical and management roles with three psychiatric facilities and two mental health and development disability centers, as a Facility Superintendent for the Department of Aging and Disability Services and a Facility Superintendent for Texas Youth Commission.

Mr. Robinson frequently serves as a speaker regarding innovative programs at state and national conferences, including the OPEN MINDS Executive Leadership Retreat, Texas Health & Human Service Commission’s 2020 Behavioral Health Conference, The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute’s Statewide Engage and Excel Conference and for the Policy Institute’s annual Staff Retreat, Texas Judicial Conferences, and the Texas Association of Counties.

Mr. Robinson earned a Masters of Arts in Psychology from Texas A&M University and an MBA in Health Administration from Our Lady of the Lake University.