Founders month at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies (CGI) is a time to honor visionary beginnings while celebrating how far the Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) community has come. For Dr. Leslie Allison Earl, DBH, LBHP, LPC-S, President of the CGI Alumni Association, the spirit of innovation and disruption that defined CGI’s founding continues to thrive through its graduates.
“The graduates of the CGI DBH program continue to be of the best and brightest minds,” Dr. Earl shared. “One way I see the alumni carrying the legacy of CGI forward is by utilizing their unique voices and continuing to disrupt and innovate healthcare. Out of the projects I have seen, there are so many opportunities for the upcoming graduates to change how the world experiences healthcare, just the way CGI intends.”
Every DBH graduate emerges from CGI with a shared purpose, to disrupt, to lead, and to humanize healthcare systems that have long needed transformation. For Dr. Earl, seeing that purpose unfold across the nation, and now globally, is one of the most inspiring parts of her work.
“What excites me the most about the future of the DBH is watching people from all across the world learning what a DBH is and how to utilize their skillset to shape the future,” she said. “It is my hope that the more DBHs we get across the US, the better the healthcare system and job market for DBHs in states where it is less recognized will be.”
Her optimism reflects the expanding reach of CGI’s mission of disrupting healthcare by preparing entrepreneurial integrated care professionals through innovative and affordable quality distance education programs, grounded in the Biodyne Model, and focused on delivering human-centered care, population health improvements, and medical cost savings. As healthcare systems confront rising costs, burnout, and fragmentation, DBHs are stepping in with data-driven solutions and human-centered care models that bridge the gap between treatment and prevention, policy and practice.
Igniting Innovation Through Community
Behind every disruptor is a community that fuels their vision. The CGI Alumni Association serves as that vital network for continued learning, collaboration, and shared purpose. For Dr. Earl, the association keeps alive the same spark of purpose that began in CGI’s classrooms.
“The Alumni Association has worked to increase innovation, disruption, and progress by encouraging the newest of DBHs to pursue what feeds their spirit,” Dr. Earl explained.
“When DBHs put their mind to something, there is little holding them back which is different than many of the other doctorate programs. The powerful instructors in the DBH program light the fire and the alumni association keeps stoking that fire to keep the DBHs and newest graduates thinking outside of the box consistently while creating community.”
This ongoing mentorship and encouragement are what make the DBH network so unique, it’s a family of innovators who refuse to accept “good enough” when better is possible. Through research, practice, and advocacy, CGI alumni are proving that disruption, when guided by compassion and equity, can be one of the most powerful forces in healthcare reform.
Redefining Leadership and Inspiring the Next Generation
As the DBH community expands, so does its definition of leadership. Dr. Earl sees a future where DBH graduates lead not only from executive offices and research institutions, but from every corner of healthcare, where they model inclusion, collaboration, and courage.
“As CGI produces more and more DBH alumni coming from different backgrounds are not only innovating in the healthcare industry, but also in the role of leaders,” she reflected. “With the younger generations graduating, they are not only showing what leadership can look like with more collaboration and disruption versus sticking to the past ways of producing good leaders.”
That evolution reflects CGI’s founding vision to improve the way the world experiences healthcare. DBH alumni are redefining what it means to lead, not just managing systems, but transforming them from the inside out.
And for those considering joining this growing movement, Dr. Earl offers a message:
“No matter your background or your area of expertise, the DBH program and the alumni organization will offer experienced mentors and educators to assist you in pursuing what you believe in while teaching you how to innovate effectively and become a disruptor in the broken healthcare system,” she said. “Please join us in helping to improve the quality of healthcare across the US and the world.”
As CGI continues to grow and evolve, its alumni are living proof that innovation is not just about new ideas, it’s about people willing to carry forward a vision of better care for all.
