Join the Sycamore Institute for a conversation on youth mental health in Tennessee via Zoom. After a presentation on the state of child and adolescent health in Tennessee, a discussion with leaders within this space will follow.

This event is free, but registration is required.

Panelists include:

• Heather Kreth, Psy.D is a licensed clinical psychologist and health service provider. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and is the Clinical Director of Inpatient Behavioral Health for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. As Clinical Director, she oversees the care for children and adolescents admitted to board at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt for primary psychiatric concerns.  Dr. Kreth’s areas of interest and expertise include working with children and adolescents in acute psychiatric crisis as well as those and working with those with trauma histories.
• Jaime Weems, M.S. has 17 years of experience working in the field of mental health. She is currently a School Based Mental Health Liaison with Frontier Health and the Greene County School System. She was previously a mental health therapist at Holston Home for Children. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management from Tusculum University and Masters in Psychology from University of Phoenix, and is currently pursuing state licensure as a License Professional Counselor. She is certified to provide services in Psychotherapy (individual and family), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy. Jaime is a certified trainer in Building Strong Brains, and to complete Psychosocial Assessments, ACES assessment, Mental Status Evaluation, Mental Health 1^st Aid and Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventories. Jaime also taught Lifespan Development at Walters State Community College.
• Matt Yancey is the Deputy Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS). In this role, he serves as top advisor to Commissioner Marie Williams regarding public behavioral health community programming while providing executive leadership for the Department’s Division of Mental Health Services, Division of Substance Abuse Services, Office of Strategic Initiatives, and administrative support to the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council. Yancey provides oversight for a $350+ million-dollar annual budget comprising of both state and federal funding. Yancey oversees the implementation 900+ contracts with partnering grantees to provide community-based programs and services across the state of Tennessee, while supporting a team of 100+ staff. Prior to serving as Deputy Commissioner, Yancey served as Assistant Commissioner for the TDMHSAS Division of Mental Health Services. Previously Yancey served as Director for the Office of Children, Young Adults, and Families with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, as Director for the Office of Adolescent and School Health with the Georgia Department of Public Health, and Director for Success for All Students with Georgia’s second largest school district, the Cobb County School District. Yancey also has extensive experience in child welfare, beginning his career with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. Yancey is licensed clinical social worker and holds graduate degrees in social work (University of Georgia) and public administration (Kennesaw State University). Matt is a graduate of Berry College located in Rome, Georgia, where he majored in Anthropology and was a member of the men’s baseball team. He is married to Erin Miller Yancey and is the proud father of June.