About Us

Colleen Hughes, Director of the Office of Behavioral Health Wellness, provides leadership in the development and implementation of comprehensive prevention systems. She leads Virginia’s prevention efforts for the SAMHSA’s SABG Prevention Set aside, State Opioid Response Grants; Problem Gambling Prevention, Suicide Prevention, Mental Health First Aid, Behavioral Health Equity and Disparities and Refugee Mental Health statewide initiatives.

Colleen’s commitment to DBHDS spans a decade, where she has served as a Behavioral Health Wellness Consultant and Synar Coordinator. In the role of Behavioral Health Wellness Consultant, she has provided technical assistance to Community Services Boards and engaged in evaluating program quality and adherence to guidelines, requirements, and best practices through site visits, and comprehensive review and approval of goals, objectives, and logic models for each CSB. As Synar Coordinator, Colleen enhanced the State’s tobacco retailer merchant education program, successfully implemented the Counter Tools initiative and met the federal requirements each year.

Colleen resides in Midlothian with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. When not assisting CSBs and communities to create positive change, you can find her ‘ubering’ her children from place to place and cheering for them on the lacrosse field!

Marfel Barnett (he/his)
Block Grant Data Manager
marfel.barnett@dbhds.virginia.gov
Reason to Contact?
DBHDS data system, Build Capacity channel in PBPS, SABG reporting requirements, Virginia Prevention Works! Portal access

Marfel Barnett has been with the DBHDS Office of behavioral health wellness since 2014. Marfel started out as a contracted employee in 2004 and moved into a full time position as the Block Grant Data manager. Marfel has been working alongside CPG, contracted vendor for the online database, to ensure all the Block Grant data requirements for the state are met. When Marfel is not working, he enjoys traveling out of the country and going on cruises, and family time.

Robert Cartwright (he/him)
Behavioral Health Wellness Consultant
robert.cartwright@dbhds.virginia.gov

Reason to contact?
ACEs

Robert has worked in the Office of Behavioral Health Wellness since 2015. He leads a statewide effort to educate communities about the impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACES). Prior to his current role, Robert spent 13 year working in residential treatment programming for at-risk youth, and led a community coalition grant project to reduce the impacts of alcohol related crashes among young people. Robert graduated from Ohio State University.

Charisma Dixon (she/her/hers)
charisma.dixon@dbhds.virginia.gov
Behavioral Health Wellness Consultant
Reason to Contact?
Behavioral Health Wellness Consultant

Charisma comes to VDBH with a wide variety of experience. She will bring to her new role 15 years of Special Education teaching and training, to include working with Hawaii Department of Education as a Student Services Coordinator for Special Education. Charisma has over a decade of experience in Mental Health working in community based services providing services as a Q.M.H.P. counselor and director for S.M.I. diagnosed adults. Charisma is lover of reading, documentaries, yoga, swimming, and travel.

Charisma received her B.S from Old Dominion University in Occupational and Technical Studies

Her graduate degree in Adult Education from Strayer University

Holds a Special Education license from Hawaii k-12 and is certified in Substance Abuse Counseling and holds a Q.M.H.P-A through Virginia Board of Professionals

Jennifer Farinholt (she/her)
Behavioral Health Wellness Consultant
jennifer.farinholt@dbhds.virginia.gov
Reason to Contact?
Community coalitions, community engagement, and the “Activate Your Wellness” statewide media campaign.

Glencora Gudger (she/her)
Behavioral Health Equity Consultant
glencora.gudger@dbhds.virginia.gov
Reason to Contact?
Equity-oriented trainings, behavioral health equity

Glencora creates programming and informs policy to reduce behavioral health disparities across Virginia through educational opportunities, coalition building, data analysis and grant opportunities.

Glencora offers a series of rotating trainings to external and internal audiences on topics pertinent to health equity, especially those that examine the role of racism, homophobia, xenophobia, classism and other social forces in the behavioral healthcare system. Reach out for more details about upcoming opportunities.

Contact Glencora about equity-oriented trainings, programs and grants for Community Services Boards (CSB) and local organizations. Also for questions about Partnership for Equity Advisory Committee (PEAC), the Behavioral Health Equity Index (BHI), or opportunities to collaborate and educate external audiences about behavioral health equity.

Alisha Jarvis (she/her/hers)
MHFA Program Coordinator
alisha.anthony@dbhds.virginia.gov
Reason to Contact?
Mental Health First Aid

Alisha is the Mental Health First Aid Coordinator in the Office of Behavioral Health Wellness at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Alisha is responsible for coordinating Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training courses for Community Services Boards (CSBs) prevention teams and community partners to increase mental health awareness across the Commonwealth. Working in partnership with CSBs, Alisha’s primary focus is to ensure communities across Virginia have access to Mental Health First Aid Training so they can learn how to recognize the symptoms of mental health problems; how to offer and provide initial help; and how to guide the individual to professional help and resources. Prior to joining the Office of Behavioral Health Wellness, she was the Community Systems Coordinator in the Injury and Violence Prevention Program at the Virginia Department of Health.

Alisha received her Master’s Degree in Public Health from Eastern Virginia Medical School and Old Dominion University’s joint program and she received her Bachelors of Science Degree as a double major studying Psychology and Health Sciences at James Madison University.

Contact Alisha to learn more about ways to get connected to local Mental Health First Aid Services in your area.

Barrett serves as the Workforce Development Coordinator at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, within the Office of Behavioral Health Wellness. In this role, Barrett oversees administrative functions crucial to team operations. Before joining the Office of Behavioral Health Wellness, Barrett held the position of administrative team lead at a local behavioral health office.

Barrett holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and English Literature from Bryn Mawr College.

Belinda Pino (she/her/hers)
Refugee Behavioral Health Coordinator/Program and Spec II
Belinda.Pino@dbhds.virginia.gov
Reason to Contact?
Refugee behavioral health

Belinda Pino, a dedicated professional with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Puerto Rico, brings a wealth of experience in humanitarian services, program management, and bilingual communication. With a strong commitment to serving vulnerable populations, Belinda has excelled in leadership roles, notably as the Director of Immigration and Refugee Services at EnCircle and as a Deputy Program Manager with BI Corporation/Homeland Security. Currently, she serves as the Refugee Behavioral Health Coordinator/Program and Spec II. Her expertise extends to her proficiency as a Certified Interpreter, facilitating communication across diverse settings. As a devoted mother of three, Belinda is deeply rooted in her community and remains committed to making a positive impact on the lives of others.

Anne Rogers (she/her)
Responsible Gambling Coordinator
anne.rogers@dbhds.virginia.gov
Reason to Contact?
Problem gambling and gaming prevention work

Anne currently leads the problem gambling and gaming prevention efforts in Virginia. In these roles she is responsible for overseeing all problem gambling and gaming assessment, capacity building, making data-driven plans, implementation, evaluation, and building connections in gambling program resources and activities with other prevention work across the commonwealth. Anne received her masters in health education from the University of Houston and is ABD status towards a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Massachusetts. She has worked in the public health and prevention fields for over 25 years. In her free time she  enjoys hiking, reading, and getting together with family and friends.

Focus Areas: Problem Gambling and Gaming Prevention.

Originally from Hanover, Virginia, Marrin began working with DBHDS in Summer of 2021. Alongside her work with DBHDS, she is a psychology student, with concentrations in Adverse Childhood Experiences and evidence-based interventions.

Rebecca Textor is a certified Prevention Specialist for DBHDS Office of Behavioral Health Wellness. Her current role as Suicide Prevention Specialist includes supporting the suicide prevention program Lock and Talk Virginia. She earned her Master of Prevention Science degree from The University of Oklahoma. Rebecca has worked as a substance abuse prevention professional within the Virginia Community Services Board system since 2010, and prior to that, she was a Community Health Coordinator with Carilion Health System. She began focusing on regionwide suicide prevention in 2015. While coordinating suicide prevention efforts for DBHDS Region 1, she became one of the original developers of Lock and Talk Virginia, now a statewide program. She is a member of Rockbridge Bath Regional Crisis Intervention Team and Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition since 2008, and a member of Virginia’s Suicide Prevention Interagency Advisory Group.

Laura Robertson (she/her)
laura.robertson@dbhds.virginia.gov
Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Reason to Contact?
Safe Talk Training, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), and to create partnerships to reduce suicide in Virginia

Laura Robertson joined the DBHDS Office of Behavioral Health Wellness in 2023. She has worked in the human services field since 2004 in the areas of family violence response and prevention, youth development, mental health education, mental health wellness and suicide prevention. She has worked in non-profit and local government settings with first responders, faith community, youth, parents, and incarcerated populations. Laura is a skilled facilitator and presenter. She is dedicated to reducing the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health. When Laura is not working, she likes to be outdoors, write, and spend time with her family.

Eden Griffin (she/her/hers)
Director

Eden currently leads the evaluation teams for the Substance Abuse Block Grant-Prevention set aside and State Opioid Response (SOR) prevention projects in Virginia. In these roles she is responsible for overseeing all evaluation planning and technical assistance activities across the commonwealth to ensure data quality and adherence to federal reporting requirements. Eden received her doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. In her free time she enjoys hiking, yoga, and spending time with her family and friends over a meal!

Focus Areas: Project management and oversight of all evaluation planning and technical assistance activities.

Devanae Allen (she/her)
Research Fellow

Devanae is a part of OMNI’s 2022 Fellowship program and started her position in June 2022. Devanae provides technical assistance to Virginia’s Substance Abuse Block Grant Prevention and State Opioid Response (SOR) projects. Prior to joining OMNI, Devanae completed her BA in Psychology and Sociology at the University of Denver, where she assisted in research that explored Denver preschool teachers’ experiences based on the class, race, and gender makeup of their students and completed her senior research thesis ‘“Media Coverage of Police Brutality: An Analysis of Newspaper Coverage of the Derek Chauvin Trial.”

Focus Areas: Technical assistance.

Len Bowman (they/them)
Research Fellow

Len is a part of OMNI’s second class of Fellows and began their work in June 2023 with the Virginia Substance Abuse Block Grant (SABG) and State Opioid Response projects. Prior to joining OMNI, Len completed their undergraduate degree in Public Health at Furman University in Greenville, SC. Len has had the opportunity to participate in internships within Furman’s Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, aiding in the evaluation of behavioral health initiatives within Magdalene Clinic, an affirming, collaborative care model for pregnant women who suffer from substance use disorder. They have also had exposure to qualitative research in working with Dr. Shaneice Criss in evaluating caregiver perceptions of No Hit Zone policies and posters in medical clinics.

Focus Areas: Technical Assitance

Christina is a part of OMNI’s 2022 Fellowship program and started her position in June 2022. Christina provides technical assistance to Virginia’s Substance Abuse Block Grant Prevention and State Opioid Response (SOR) projects. Prior to joining OMNI, Christina completed her BA in Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara where she assisted research that explored the intersectional experiences of queer people of color in New Orleans.

Focus Areas: Technical assistance.

Leslie Garcia (she/her)
Research Associate

Leslie began working at OMNI as a Research Associate in June 2023. She is a Technical Assistance Specialist for Virginia’s Substance Abuse Block Grant Prevention and State Opioid Response (SOR) projects. Before joining OMNI, Leslie was a Project Coordinator for the Social Environment and Health Program at the Institute for Social Research, where she coordinated the launch of a transdisciplinary research study on the effects of racial inequalities in sleep deficiencies. 

Focus Areas: Technical Assitance

Bianca Gonzalez-De La Rosa (she/they)
Researcher

Bianca joined OMNI as a Research Associate in June 2021. Bianca provides technical assistance to Virginia’s Substance Abuse Block Grant-Prevention and State Opioid Response projects. Prior to joining OMNI, Bianca worked as a behavioral health provider in integrated health.

Focus Areas: Technical assistance

T Schweimler (they/them)
Research Manager

T enjoys working with Virginia’s Substance Abuse Block Grant Prevention and State Opioid Response (SOR) prevention projects and providing individualized technical assistance, evaluation related trainings, and additional evaluation and data-related support to help CSBs across the commonwealth thrive in their prevention work. T works across a variety of projects and content areas at OMNI, with a passion for raising up the voices of underrepresented and marginalized communities through research. T is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Madagascar ’16-’19) and is originally from Braunschweig, Germany.

Focus Areas: Individualized technical assistance, evaluation related trainings, data system support, survey tool development.

Tammy Tran (she/her)
Research Fellow

Tammy began working at OMNI in June 2024 as a research fellow. Tammy provides technical assistance to Virginia’s Substance Abuse Block Grant Prevention and State Opioid Response projects. Prior to joining OMNI, Tammy completed a BA in Statistics and Data Science.

Focus Area: Technical Assistance

Swechchha Tripathi (she/her)
Research Associate

Swechchha joined OMNI in January 2023 as a Research Associate. She is a Technical Assistance Specialist for Virginia’s Substance Abuse Block Grant Prevention and State Opioid Response projects. Swechchha is currently pursuing a Master’s in Social Work at the University of Denver and an internship at the Denver Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. Prior to, she worked as a Foster Care Case Planner at Forestdale Inc. in NYC.

Focus Areas: Technical assistance

Cindy Vigil (she/her/hers)
Research Manager

Cindy supports Virginia’s Substance Abuse Block Grant-Prevention set aside and State Opioid Response (SOR) prevention projects by leading a team of Technical Assistants in providing guidance, training and evaluation focused skill-building with communities across the commonwealth. This includes touching on topics such as data entry and reporting, accessing local needs data, and evaluation planning.

Focus Areas: Individualized technical assistance, evaluation related trainings

Jason Wheeler (he/him/his)
Research Manager

Jason supports Virginia’s Substance Abuse Block Grant-Prevention set aside and State Opioid Response (SOR) prevention projects by providing technical assistance, researching prevention topics, developing prevention campaign materials, assisting with reporting, and helping community service boards staff build skills and plan intervention implementation.

Focus Areas: Research, SOR Activate Your Wellness Campaign, data collection and evaluation.

Cheryl Winston (she/her)
Research Manager

Cheryl joined OMNI in 2013. She is involved with evaluation projects in the areas of substance use prevention and treatment, racial and ethnic disparities in health care, and more. Her role on the Virginia Prevention project includes providing evaluation technical assistance and training to grantees, survey development, reporting, and more. Cheryl is also a lifelong musician with roots in western New York State, but has spent most of her life spent in her beloved Boulder, Colorado.

Focus Areas: Individualized technical assistance, evaluation related trainings, survey tool development.