Testimonials
“Dr. Ferman has the acumen and creativity to transform systems of care through the integration of the physical and behavioral aspects of health. She uses her unique expertise in compassionate care for the patient and family as primary drivers, while simultaneously demonstrating the highest regard for the healthcare staff and their talent to effectively build momentum for systemic change.
She has a deep commitment to providing quality healthcare to people with serious mental illness and support for their families. This is reflected in her design of the Concord Integrated Primary Care (IPC) Model for the largest freestanding mental health center in the county to address the serious health disparity experienced by this population. Her work garnered the support of several foundations and of national groups.”
Lynda Gayden
Executive Director
Contra Costa Regional Health Foundation
October 2011
“Working with Dr. Johanna Ferman over the past year has been one of the high points of my professional activities with respect to developing integrated behavioral health within primary care. The integration work has been a passion for me for many years, and at the Wright Institute, we have established a special division dedicated to the integration of primary and behavioral health training of psychologists. Johanna is visionary, organized, methodical and highly professional. Working toward creating integrated behavioral health care, she demonstrates an extraordinary capacity for problem-solving and for working collaboratively - incorporating each participant's unique qualifications and strengths and determining roles. She embraces people of different backgrounds and disciplines; she is hands-on and able to act in accordance with the readiness of partners. In our case, she was very attuned to the needs of the community within which we are working and the benefit of our contribution to the Richmond Health Clinic and its patients.
Throughout the last seven years of my work in trying to develop a viable, affordable and sustainable behavioral health model for primary care centers, Johanna's contribution has been most beneficial to these efforts and has the greatest potential to achieve success. No one else I've encountered working in this area has been as knowledgeable or as understanding of the importance of this integration. Johanna knows how to make it work in clinics serving complex, high-risk populations in a manner that reflects high quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and agency-community fit.
I unreservedly recommend Dr. Ferman to anyone planning integrated behavioral health care adaptations.”
Gilbert Newman, Ph.D.
Director of Training
Wright Institute
Berkeley, California
December 2011
Plenary Speaker at the Second Annual Saffron Strand Conference on Homelessness: Sustainable Solutions to Homelessness May 2011
“…the audience and I were captivated by the creativity of her presentation, the ease of her manner (engaging the audience as well as the panel members), and by the rare capacity she demonstrates in bringing together both people and seemingly divergent material. Her discussion of the primary care and behavioral health integration work to prevent homelessness that she had undertaken with the County was among the most lucid and exciting that I have heard in a very long time. She speaks with a passion and authority that come from her hands-on experience. Dr. Ferman brought our conference Plenary to a new and higher level of professional training and overall quality."
Yvonne Nair
Founder and CEO Saffron Strand
Richmond, California
“…While serving as Fannie Mae’s VP for Administration several years back, I bought a commercial building to house staff which had a few existing tenants. One of those tenants was a non-profit organization, the Center for Mental Health. As such, my first meeting with the Center’s Director, Dr. Johanna Ferman, was landlord to tenant…With my retirement at the end of that year, I wanted to engage in public service..and The Center offered the right combination of organizational mission and leadership to satisfy my desire; upon retirement, I joined the Center for Mental Health as a member of its Board of Directors.
I served as a Board member for several years and had an extensive opportunity to work with Johanna and other board members on numerous complex, sensitive and challenging issues. Throughout this period, I was continually impressed with Johanna’s leadership, management, vision, and judgment. She has that rare ability to combine the best and often highly innovative clinical services with the difficult task of cultivating and managing collaboration and support from a broad array of public and private organizations including local entities, national foundations such as RWJ, and members of Congress. Johanna thrives on recruiting and nourishing very talented people -- including staff, board members, donors, and community advocates among whom were consumers and their families. She thinks and articulates clearly – whether orally or in writing and her communication skills were a great asset.
With these talents, Dr. Ferman succeeded in building and sustaining the Center for Mental Health for nearly two decades. I think it fair to say that her work and the work of the Center, fundamentally shifted outcomes for several vulnerable populations – from infants and toddlers to youngsters, teens and adults –by breaking the cycle of poverty and disability and actually opening up productive and satisfying life opportunities for several thousand area residents.”
Ron Hunter
Retired, Former VP for Administration, Fannie Mae
Former Board Member, Center for Mental Health
Washington, D.C.
"Ms. Jackson has consistently demonstrated the ability to conceptualize, integrate, build and fine-tune high-quality and efficient systems of services and supports for vulnerable populations….she possesses extraordinary analytical and communication skills, is a quick study, and is exceptionally adaptable.
David Brown
Former Deputy Director of the Department
of Youth Rehabilitation Services, Washington, DC.
November 2011
“… Aileen has been working with us at NIATx on a variety of integration projects…she is always current on the literature and practice..and knows the different types of integration models very well. Her handling of the reimbursement pieces is at the highest level across the country… she has demonstrated over and over her ability to engage and work with providers who may be just beginning to think about integration and to bring them into a broader approach."
Todd Molfenter
Deputy Director
Network for the Improvement of Treatment (NIATx)
Madison, Wisconsin
November 2011
“When someone you love is struck down by schizophrenia - the person you need in your court is Gloria Hill.
Gloria has been in the midst of our families struggle since 1996 - when my son was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. In all these years of our meetings, emails and phone calls, she has never failed to be able to help us in some manner. Whether that is to clarify our confused understanding of the system, educate us regarding the progression of this horrific disease, enlighten us regarding the newest medications, or encourage us when our hope is at a minimum. She has been able to work with physicians and social services to pass along clinical information that enlightens and informs for best treatment planning and works towards best outcomes.
It is her tenacity, perseverance, compassion and incredible will to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves that has astounded hundreds of family members and left so many, immensely grateful for her courage and for her love of this population.
It is a wearying journey for everyone in a family where mental illness ravages the minds of a loved one and tears at the very fabric of their being and at the heart of the entire family system. Families need people like Mrs. Hill in their court. Our county is not the same without her.”
Gloria Davidson, MS, MFT
Mother of a 34 year old son with schizophrenia
As the Director of Patients' Rights for ContraCosta County, CA for 18 years [working for a private non-profit Mental Health Consumer Concerns, Inc,] I have valued Gloria Hill in her position as Adult Family Services Coordinator working for the County for most of that time. She was always helpful to me and my staff with issues with our clients [especially, complex insurance issues come to mind]. This has continued after her retirement to Florida. Also, her background as Chief of Radiology for Children's Hospital in Oakland, CA gave her invaluable skills in treating the entire person.
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Gloria's expertise in medication, especially psychotropic medication, have served family members such as myself and others in suggesting the most efficacious psychopharmacological treatment for our loved ones. When my brother was hospitalized and receiving inadequate care , it was Gloria who had the suggestion which led, finally, to effective treatment, and with her RN training she was listened to by the facility.What I especially value about Gloria Hill is her honesty, straightforwardness, caring, and political savvy in a complex environment which changes minute by minute, and her responsiveness to families in the public as well as the private mental health systems.
As a mental heath client myself with a serious and persistent psychiatric disorder, I so much appreciate Gloria's intervention when my total knee replacement turned into a nightmare last January because the managed care orthopaedic surgeon discontinued a psychiatric medication, with no notice and with disastrous results.
GLORIA HILL IS THE BEST!”
Janet Marshall Wilson, JD,
Director of Patients' RIghts, Contra Costa and Napa Counties
Mental Health Consumer Concerns, Inc.
“How can one express the deep, abiding gratitude of our family for the self effacing, dedicated help that Gloria offered to us during the darkest moment in our lives: our son’s psychotic break and illness?
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Since then we have encountered many people in the mental health field. Some were wonderful, some not so much. But none stand with the stature of Gloria Hill. She is like the elite athlete, so far above what the normal athlete can do.In helping us, she was tireless, kind, resourceful, supportive and truthful. Gloria does not sugar coat the truth. Nothing is more needed in facing these terrible disorders than being able to trust the person helping you. I know I can trust Gloria.
In becoming a founding board member of the Putnam Contra Costa Clubhouse, I counted heavily on Gloria’s support and direction. I have referred many people to Gloria and they have to a person told me how important that connection was in seeking help for their loved ones.
To say Gloria is well respected in Contra Costa County would be an understatement. She is loved and respected.”
Linda Cardiff
Founding Board Member, Contra Costa Clubhouses Inc.s
President, Pasche Inc
Executive Editor, Sound Advice Investment Newsletter
Principal, Self Storage 1
