Cummings Graduate Institute Celebrates New Doctor of Behavioral Health Graduates
The nonprofit, private, post-secondary institution specializing in integrated behavioral health education honors the doctoral program culmination of five new DBH graduates.
November 17, 2021
Tempe, AZ
Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies (CGI) is thrilled to announce the graduation of five new Doctors of Behavioral Health. Dr. Liza R. Clancy, Dr. Andreena M. Jackson, Dr. Heather Jelonek, Dr. Katarzyna Motylewicz, and Dr. William Penney successfully completed the requirements for the Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) program. We are honored to have worked with them during their studies and applaud them for their perseverance and tenacity as they completed their doctoral degrees amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Liza R. Clancy, DBH, MSW
Dr. Clancy’s journey to the DBH program was fueled by her frustration with the fragmentation of the healthcare system. Having graduated from NYU with her MSW, Dr. Clancy worked in medical and behavioral health for a large health care system in New Jersey for many years. With its doctorate in integrated care and mission to change the way healthcare is delivered, CGI offered the opportunity to disrupt the norms and advance the delivery of behavioral health. Now in private practice, Dr. Clancy is utilizing this new perspective to provide integrated care to those struggling with anxiety secondary to chronic and comorbid conditions and life transitions.
Dr. Clancy’s culminating project explored the neurobiological underpinnings of anxiety, evidenced-based treatments for cortical anxiety, and the differentiation between cortical and amygdala-based anxiety. Her project points to the need for an intervention, grounded in the Biodyne model, to address cortical anxiety. The REMA protocol, developed by Dr. Clancy, is an intervention to interrupt the rumination process, common to those suffering from cortical anxiety.
Learn more about Dr. Clancy’s culminating project in her recent interview on the Disruptors at Work: an Integrated Care podcast.
Dr. Andreena Jackson, DBH, MSSA, LSW
Dr. Andreena Jackson has worked as a Licensed Social Worker in the behavioral health field for the last 15 years in various capacities including Clinical Supervisor, Field Instructor, Site Manager, Mental Health Therapist, Volunteer Therapist, Facilitator, and Owner and Operator of Marshall Manor Adult Care Facility, a residential home for the behavioral health population. Currently Dr. Jackson serves as the CEO of Mindfitness Coaching & Consulting, LLC, a venture developed and launched during her culminating project research at CGI.
For her DBH Culminating Project, Dr. Jackson developed a research study that explored the barriers to physical activity for African American Women. Participants’ responses to the study inspired Dr. Jackson to continue her study to gain knowledge that can lead to effective interventions and to educate African American women about chronic disease and the benefits of engaging in physical activities. Dr. Jackson’s research and culminating project outcomes served as the foundation for her venture, Mindfitness Coaching & Consulting, where Dr. Jackson devotes her knowledge and experience to helping individuals identify barriers that keep them from goal achievement. She now assists interdisciplinary teams with the implementation of the Integrated Care Model in hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Learn more about Dr. Jackson’s culminating project and her post graduation plans.
Dr. Heather Jelonek, DBH
Dr. Heather Jelonek completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology at the University of Illinois – Chicago before beginning her healthcare career at First Health Group Corporation, where her passion for integrating healthcare began. As she rose within the ranks of the health insurance industry, she earned her Master Degree in Clinical Psychology at Benedictine University in Lisle Illinois. Heather holds professional licenses in the States of Illinois and Arizona as a Counselor specializing in childhood and adolescent behavioral health. Throughout her career, Dr. Jelonek struggled with closing the mental health gap with the healthcare industry and viewed this obstacle as the primary threat to the spiraling costs of healthcare. Her current role as the Director of Value Based Programs at Health Current has opened new opportunities to improve healthcare integration, improve outcomes and reduce costs from a trauma informed approach.
During her studies at Cummings Graduate Institute, Dr. Jelonek was introduced to the ground breaking CDC/Kaiser Adverse Childhood Experiences study and the connection between the long-term medical costs associated and unaddressed childhood trauma, which led to the focus of her culminating project. For her culminating project, Dr. Jelonek developed a model for the health insurance industry to incentivize healthcare providers to screen for ACE’s, thus reducing the financial burden on patient premiums, lowering the long term cost of care for insurance companies, and improving patient care outcomes.
Learn more about Dr. Jelonek’s culminating project and listen to her recent interview on the Disruptors at Work: an Integrated Care podcast.
Dr. Katarzyna Motylewicz, DBH, BCBA, QBA
Dr. Katarzyna Motylewicz is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Qualified Behavior Analyst (QBA), and a special educator. She has worked as a lead teacher, a supervisor, a clinical director, a lead ABA trainer, and a consultant at schools, early intervention agencies, and in the private sector. She is also a former competitive athlete, karate practitioner, and a karate instructor with over 25-year teaching experience.
Dr. Motylewicz’s passion for sports combined with her clinical work resulted in identification of a new gap: motor impairments affecting social-communication skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Her culminating project combined these two areas, and resulted in a development of the Motor Assessment of Autism (MIA), the training modules for clinicians, and the functional training program for individuals with ASD.
For an in depth overview of Dr. Motylewicz’s culminating project research, view her webinar, Addressing Physical Delays and Motor Impairments in the Context of Core Symptoms of ASD: An Evidence-Based Clinician Training Protocol or watch a brief interview with Dr. Motylewicz discussing her research.
Dr. William Penney, DBH, LMFT, LCSW
Dr. Penney holds a master’s degree from New York University and serves as the Clinical Director of Counseling Care Associates where he conducts counseling sessions with individuals, families and couples and supervises all staff professionals ensuring that patients receive the highest quality mental health services. Counseling Care is an approved treatment center for the New Jersey State Intoxicated Driver’s Resource Center and delivers a wide range of Employee Assistance Services to individuals working in both public and private agencies. Dr. Penney has incorporated integrated behavioral health care concepts with the treatment of individuals referred from their respective workplace.
Dr. Penney’s culminating research project focused on investigating father’s experiences and reactions to the birth of a premature baby. Dr. Penney examined key conflict areas for fathers of premature infants whose medical condition required hospitalization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
For an in depth overview of Dr. Penney’s culminating project research, view his webinar, No Gas Left in the Tank: Financial and Vocational Issues that Contribute to Increased Stress Levels for Fathers of Premature Infants or watch a brief interview with Dr. Penney discussing his research.
When reflecting upon the new graduates’ accomplishments, Dr. Fanike-Kiara Olugbala Young, DBH, LCSW, Director of the DBH program shares,
“Congratulations to each and every one of our recent CGI Doctor of Behavioral Health graduates. I am so proud to have been a part of your journeys and look forward to calling each of you “Colleague”. As you move forward professionally and personally, I hope the knowledge and training that you have attained allows you to cross barriers and disrupt in every way possible.”
Each of the five recent DBH graduates brings a unique perspective on improving healthcare as a Doctor of Behavioral Health. CGI looks forward to seeing the improvements our graduates will make to healthcare delivery and patient care.
About Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies (CGI)
CGI is a nonprofit, DEAC accredited, online post-graduate institution of higher learning offering post-graduate education and training in the field of integrated behavioral healthcare, including the Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) degree, graduate certificate programs, and continuing education. Cummings Graduate Institute is dedicated to 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. CGI is focused on meeting the healthcare industry’s need for a highly-skilled workforce to support an integrated approach to addressing patients’ needs. To learn more about CGI visit, https://cgi.edu/.
For further information or to arrange interviews, contact:
Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies
Melissa McGurgan
melissa@cgi.edu
