NAMI Michigan Annual Conference

CEO, NAMI

Dan Gillison brings expertise in non-profit leadership and a passion for advocating for people with mental illness to NAMI. Before coming to NAMI, Dan led the American PsychiatricAssociation Foundation (APAF) and County Solutions and innovation for the National Association of Counties (NACo). 

Dan spearheaded the creation of the CEO Alliance for MentalHealth in 2020, which represents some of the most vulnerable and diverse populations affected by disparities in the mental health care system. The leadership collective has collaborated to identify and amplify their priorities for creating a future of quality mental health care for all who need it

Director, MDHHS

Elizabeth Hertel is the Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Hertel previously served as director of Policy and Planning, senior deputy director for Policy, Planning and Legislative Services, and Chief Deputy for Administration for the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), which later merged into MDHHS. Prior to joining MDCH, Hertel worked as a senior advisor for Health Policy in the state House Republican Policy Office. She also worked as a consultant with Public Sector Consultants and then as a policy analyst at Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Founder, River Jordan, Inc.

Aland Stamps is the founder of River Jordan, Inc., which provides wrap around support services for current and former foster youth and evidence-based transitional housing, peer support and life skills services. He was himself in the foster care system for 11 years before aging out into homelessness and drug addiction. He returned to school at 43 to complete his Associate’s Degree and originally planned to become a Licensed Master of Social Work before discovering a passion for helping current and former foster care youth in danger of falling through the gaps in the system, as he had, leading him to found River Jordan.

Behavioral Health Medical Director, Network 180

Eric D. Achtyes, MD is a staff psychiatrist and researcher holding appointments at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Cherry Health and network180. Dr. Achtyes works with psychiatric patients under a federally funded research project called Recovery After Initial Schizophrenia Episode: Early Treatment Program (RAISE-ETP), a program funded by the National Institute of Mental Health to improve outcomes for patients in the early stages of schizophrenia. Dr. Achtyes supervised one of the Michigan treatment sites and now oversees a Medicaid block grant approved by Congress to continue the program in Michigan.