Dr. Jonathan Shepherd
President
Dr. Jonathan Shepherd, MD is the Chief Medical Director with Hope Health Systems, Inc. He currently serves as President of the Board of Directors.
Dr. Shepherd is a board child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist and has received numerous awards for his clinical work and training programs. Dr. Shepherd holds a Doctorate of Medicine degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago; he completed his General Psychiatry residency at the University of Illinois Hospital and a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Dr. Shepard believes in the work that BMHA is doing. He is committed and invested because he believes in the mission of promoting and advancing the mental health and well-being of people of color. He wants to bring awareness to mental health disorders that are a part of our global community.
Dr. La Keita Carter
Vice President
Dr. La Keita Carter is a licensed psychologist and owner of the Institute for HEALing, LLC, a wellness agency that provides comprehensive and culturally-sensitive mental health treatment. Based in Owings Mills, MD, iHEAL has several programs aimed at creating a healthier society.
Dr. Carter serves as the vice-chair of the Board of Directors. Since 2015 she has been supporting BMHA’s goals to decrease mental illness stigma in communities of color and provide education and training to mental health providers in the community. She has represented BMHA on the radio and television and uses her expertise in psychology administration, trauma, and addictions to help fulfill BMHA’s mission.
After earning her bachelor’s degree from Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) in psychology, she completed her masters and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology at Loyola University Maryland. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Towson University’s Counseling Center in Towson, MD.
She holds dual licensure as a psychologist (LP) and professional counselor (LCPC) in Maryland. Additionally, she is a nationally approved clinical supervisor and a board-certified telemental health provider (BC-TMH). In addition to practicing psychology, Dr. Carter also teaches psychology at all academic levels and writes about psychology. The third edition of your textbook, Reflecting humanity: Biological, Psychological, and Sociological Perspectives in Psychology was published in 2019. Lastly, she is a national speaker on multicultural competence in mental health providers.
Patrice Sowah
Secretary
Patrice Sowah is the Behavioral Health Contracts Manager at the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, an executive agency whose primary responsibility is to appropriately manage, supervise, and treat youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system in Maryland. She serves as the Secretary on the Board of Directors.
Patrice understands the impact of trauma and mental health issues negatively affecting the lives of youth in Maryland; disproportionately Black males. For this reason, she is committed to working with BMHA to fulfill its mission to educate and provide mental health resources to the Black community. Her objective is to dispel the stigma surrounding the treatment of mental illness and encourage mental wellness.
Patrice is a licensed Life & Health insurance agent and investment Broker, with over 10 years of experience in the personal finance services industry.
Patrice holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Jurisprudence from the University of Baltimore.
Senchal Dashiell Barrolle, Esq
Senchal Dashiell Barrolle, Esq. has been appointed by Governor Moore to serve as a member of the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals. Ms. Barrolle is a licensed attorney in Maryland, New York, and DC. She earned her J.D. from The Georgetown Law Center and her B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University. Ms. Barrolle is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Ms. Barrolle believes that it is important for members of the Black community to seek and be able to obtain necessary mental health services without fear of stigmatization. As a mother, she is especially concerned about postpartum mental health services for Black women as well as mental health services for black children.
Corey Odol
Corey Odol is a Business Development Executive that resides in the Washington D.C metro area. His specializations include community-based and hospital-based business development. Currently he works for Universal Health Services (UHS) Hospital in the Nation’s Capital and has increased patient volume by 50% in less than a year, making him one of the top Business Development executives in UHS nationwide. Corey’s efforts has made his hospital the fastest growing hospital in DC. As a result, he is called on as an expert marketing executive throughout the region. In 2019, he was appointed by District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser to serve as a commissioner on the Commission on Healthcare Systems Transformation to make recommendations on strategies and investments necessary to transform health care delivery in Washington D.C. Corey also has formed a training Institute in collaboration with Bowie State University to house the only nationally accredited Peer Recovery Coach training program, along with many other programs that are disruptors in the behavioral health industry. During his career, he has been asked to use his business development and marketing expertise to consult with health care leaders around the country. His skill set doesn’t just reside in business development and marketing; he has also spent many years in operations. During his time working in the senior health care industry he has opened and operated one of the region’s most notable medical adult day centers in Baltimore under Easter Seals serving DC/MD/VA.
Shannon McFadden, MS
Shannon McFadden, MS is a former special educator, CEO of an education/human services based consulting firm, and the newly appointed Director of Behavioral Health Services for a non-profit organization. Shannon has spent most of her career, advocating for our most vulnerable citizens, particularly those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Passionate about her work, Shannon works to assist vulnerable members of the community with finding their voice and living their lives to fullest. She currently resides in Baltimore County, with her daughter, Sharise, and their two dogs.
Dr. Annelle Primm, MPH
Dr. Annelle Primm is the Senior Medical Director of the Steve Fund which supports the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color from adolescence to young adulthood. Dr. Primm believes strongly in the mission of BMHA and has dedicated her professional and volunteer efforts to fostering the well-being of black and other communities of color.
Dr. Primm is a community psychiatrist with a background in public health. She is a co-editor of two books, Disparities in Psychiatric Care and Women in Psychiatry: Personal Perspectives, and is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the 2018 Community Service Award from the Association of Black Psychologists.
Annelle holds a medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine and received her residency training in psychiatry and public health degree from Johns Hopkins.
Dr. Vabren Watts
Vabren Watts, Ph.D.
Dr. Vabren Watts is a science and health journalist and expert in health equity. He has authored more than 300 articles about the latest advancements in medicine for news media outlets including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Psychiatric News, and WebMD. Dr. Watts is also an advocate for improving health care for minority populations—having served as a spokesperson on such topics for the American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, and the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Watts received his Doctor of Philosophy in pharmacology from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN and completed his postdoctoral training in the Division of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.