The Behavioral Health Institute

New Director

We’re proud to introduce you to Jim Vollendroff, MPA, the founding director of the Behavioral Health Institute. Jim most recently served as the director of the King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division, where he worked for 16 years — 11 years as the assistant director and five years as the director. Prior to joining the county, Jim worked for Providence Health System for 13 years and was the clinical manager for patient services at Providence St. Peter Chemical Dependency Center. Jim brings professional leadership and passion for this work. As a person in long-term recovery, he also brings personal experience that gives him deep insight into effective policy and programs. He is a steadfast advocate for improved services for people living with behavioral health conditions and strongly believes in supporting individuals and families. As a 35-year veteran of the behavioral health sector from both a hospital and governmental perspective, Jim is the ideal candidate to lead the Behavioral Health Institute at this critical time of development. We are excited he has joined our team.

Paul Hayes, R.N., Executive Director, Harborview Medical Center

New Website

We’re about to launch our new website, and we’re excited to introduce you to our new look and content at our upcoming event! The launch of our new website coincides with our expanding role in mental health and addiction innovation and as a leader in advancing research and clinical practice. The BHI website will provide information about our goals, who we are, what we stand for, and how we add value in developing, delivering and implementing evidence-based mental health and addiction interventions.

Specialized Treatement for Early Psychosis (STEP) Program

We are excited to introduce Merrill Berger, Ph.D., our new program director for STEP Program. We began taking referrals in January. Community response for this much-needed program to serve youth and young adults with recent first episodes of psychosis has exceeded expectations. Research shows that early intervention and researched based treatment significantly improves the course of the illness and results in better outcomes. Our team consists of psychiatrists, psychotherapists, employment/education specialists, peers, nurses and other experts. Together, they will help youth and young adults get accurate diagnosis and timely and effective care – allowing them and their families to have the brightest future possible. Please come meet the entire research and treatment team at “Our First Year,” the special community event being held on April 17.

The STEP team