Kirsten Beronio Joins NABH as Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kirsten Beronio has joined the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) as director of policy and regulatory affairs, effective Feb. 24.

Kirsten Beronio comes to NABH with more than 20 years of experience developing mental health and substance use disorder policy in leadership positions she has held in the legislative and executive branches of the federal government and at a leading mental health advocacy organization.

"We are excited to welcome someone with the depth and breadth of behavioral healthcare policy experience that Kirsten brings," said Shawn Coughlin, president and CEO at NABH. "Kirsten's background in developing, implementing, and advocating for policies that help people struggling with mental health and substance use disorder positions her well for this role, and we are thrilled to have her join our team.

Most recently Kirsten served as the senior policy advisor for behavioral health in the Center for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from 2016 to 2020. Before that, Kirsten worked as the first division director for behavioral health and intellectual disabilities policy in HHS' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. In addition to developing this new division from its inception, Kirsten served as a subject matter expert focused on federal parity legislation and regulations, implementation of key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, and various healthcare financing policies in Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP.

Before her time at HHS, Kirsten served as vice president for federal policy development and advocacy at Mental Health America. Her earlier experience includes serving as the Medicaid and CHIP counsel for the minority staff at the Senate Finance Committee.

Kirsten earned a B.A. from Princeton University and a J.D. from Georgetown University.

About NABH

The National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) advocates for behavioral healthcare and represents provider systems that treat children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with mental health and substance use disorders in more than 1,800 inpatient behavioral healthcare hospitals and units, residential treatment facilities, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs, medication assisted treatment centers, specialty behavioral healthcare programs, and recovery support services.  The association was founded in 1933.

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SOURCE National Association for Behavioral Healthcare