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Karl Brimner has been the director of mental health services for the State of Alaska, the State of Washington and Multnomah County in Portland, Oregon.

 

Karl Brimner has 30 years of experience in the behavioral health field and the past 15 years have been in executive level positions. Prior to joining Colorado Recovery as the Chief Executive Officer he was consulting in the healthcare area with national corporations and governmental organizations. His executive experience includes the Alaska State Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Director, the Washington State Mental Health Director and the Multnomah County Mental Health and Addictions Services Director in Portland, Oregon. He has operated managed care service programs and developed strategies for system improvement, has extensive experience with personnel issues and has been responsible for multi-million dollar budgets.

 

As an advocate for services for individuals with a mental illness, Karl has worked with legislators to secure funding for recovery based services. He developed consumer networking and advisory committees to direct program services and make system decisions. He implemented innovative services emphasizing individualized and community-based models and initiated services promoting the integration of physical and behavioral health care. As a leader in policy and advocacy, Karl has given presentations on numerous topics to a variety of audiences, including: Mental Health & Addiction Services Accomplishments and Innovations; Children’s System of Care Changes; Mental Health and Addictions Strategic Planning; and Mental Health Transformation.

 

Karl’s leadership style promotes customer service and teamwork, establishing a framework for accountability, quality services and successful outcomes. He commissioned studies and projects to measure service impacts and identify opportunities and strategies for system improvements, including:

 

  • Patient Utilization of Washington State Psychiatric Beds 2004
  • Cost Off-Set Client Outcomes Report 2003
  • Prevalence of Serious Mental Illness in Washington State 2003

 

Karl has been active in a number of state and national organizations which have provided him with the opportunity to participate in efforts to improve mental health advocacy. These organizations include the Governor’s Commission on Children and Families, the Park City Policy Institute regarding the US Healthcare System, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, the National Council of Behavioral Health Care Providers and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

 

Karl has participated in international exchanges to teach and learn about mental health delivery system innovations. In this capacity, he led delegations to South Africa, Russia, hosted mental health professionals from Moldavia, and participated in the Canada/United States Border Meeting on Social Service Delivery.