ADVISORS

MHTARI, a tax-exempt subsidiary of BFF, has retained organizations such as RTI, Milliman, and NORC to undertake specific projects.

In addition, MHTARI regularly receives advice from:

Henry T. Harbin, MD

Dr. Harbin is a psychiatrist with over 50 years of experience in the behavioral health field. He has held a number of senior positions in both public and private health care organizations. He was a public health official for 10 years in the public mental health system in Maryland during the 1980s, serving as Director of the state mental health authority for three of those years. Between 1994 and 2004, Dr. Harbin was CEO or Chairman of two national behavioral healthcare companies – Greenspring Health Services and Magellan Health Services. In 2002, Dr. Harbin served on President Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. From 2004 to 2024, Dr. Harbin served as an advisor or board member for multiple organizations. These include AARP, The Kennedy Forum, Business Group on Health, the American Psychiatric Association Foundation's Center for Workplace Mental Health, the Path Forward for Mental Health and Substance Use, CMS/CMMI, and Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. Dr. Harbin continues to serve as a board member of Mental Health Association of Maryland, BrainFutures and as an advisor to the Bowman Family Foundation.

Summary of Relevant Mental Health Parity Experience:

Co-author of the “Six Step” Parity Compliance Guide for Non-Quantitative Treatment Limitation (NQTL) Requirements (Sept. 2017); co-author MDRF (2023); advisor to Parity Implementation Coalition. Since 2009, provided extensive input to DOL/HHS in development of regulatory and sub-regulatory guidance for MHPAEA; expert consultant on parity compliance for four state regulatory insurance departments; panel presentations for DOL, NAIC, Maryland Insurance Administration.

Beth Ann Middlebrook, JD

Beth Ann Middlebrook is a health lawyer specializing in behavioral health law and the owner of B. Middlebrook Consulting, LLC. Ms. Middlebrook’s subject matter expertise includes the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), state parity laws, as well as behavioral health network access and adequacy. She has been an attorney since 1987, practicing as both an associate and partner at private law firms in various specialties until transitioning to health law in 2006. Ms. Middlebrook worked for over 13 years with large behavioral health facilities in Florida and Texas, focusing on MHPAEA, state parity laws, state health insurance-related legislation and behavioral health commercial insurance coverage and reimbursements. Ms. Middlebrook was co-author of The “Six Step” Parity Compliance Guide for Non-Quantitative Treatment Limitation (NQTL) Requirements (Sept. 2017). She co-chaired the Parity Implementation Coalition in 2016 and served on its executive committee from 2010-2015. She was Managing Editor of the Parity Resource Guide for Addiction & Mental Health Consumers, Providers and Advocates (Winter 2015) and co-authored MHTARI's Model Data Request Form (MDRF) (2023). She chaired the ABA’s Health Law Section Interest Group on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders from 2013-2016 and chaired its Advisory Board from 2017-2020. She has provided extensive input to DOL/HHS since 2009 in the development of regulatory and sub-regulatory guidance for MHPAEA. Ms. Middlebrook has also served as an expert consultant to several state departments of insurance on federal and state parity law compliance. She has participated on panel presentations regarding parity law compliance for DOL, NAIC and Maryland Insurance Administration.

Brenda Jackson, MPP

Brenda Jackson specializes in policy, program design and implementation and regulatory analysis for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) with a focus on delivery system innovation, value-based purchasing (VBP), Federally Qualified Health Centers, intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) and behavioral health system redesigns and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) policy compliance. Having worked in this field since 1993, Brenda focused on home and community-based services (HCBS), behavioral health, and managed care policy when she was employed by CMS, the State of Kansas, Mercer Government Human Resources Consulting, and Deloitte & Touche Management Consulting. While employed by CMS, Brenda was the Iowa State Representative for three years, and reviewed all Iowa waivers and amendments. Brenda currently advises several behavioral health organizations such as The Bowman Family Foundation, Healthy Minds, and Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. Brenda was a contributing author for MHSUD Issue Briefs for the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute identifying key billing codes for Coordinated Specialty Care (First Episode Psychosis) and Behavioral Health Crisis services and the use of these codes to support parity in reimbursement.

Michael Yuhas, MA

Mr. Yuhas brings to BFF and MHTARI more than three decades of experience working with healthcare start-ups, Behavioral Health Management & Integration, Community Health Work, Social Determinants of Health, Medicaid/Medicare/Dual Eligible populations and healthcare analytics. He founded Integra ServiceConnect, a first-to-market company specializing in engaging high-need individuals in their own communities - identifying and addressing social needs that adversely impact their health, and connecting them with needed healthcare and related services. Mr. Yuhas previously served as CEO of Health Integrated, a FL-based integrated care management company, and held a number of executive leadership roles in Magellan Health Services. He holds a masters degree in Clinical/Community Psychology from Temple University and completed additional graduate training in Psychiatric Epidemiology at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In addition to BFF and MHTARI, Mr. Yuhas serves as an advisor to other private and nonprofit organizations, including the Mental Health Association of Maryland, firsthand, Brain Futures and Tiatros.

Lisa Wells

Ms. Wells serves as BFF and MHTARI's Senior Analyst. She brings to the foundation several years of data analysis and quality improvement experience in the mental health and substance use field and has co-authored multiple BFF/MHTARI publications.