picture of MAMH President and CEO, Danna Mauch

Danna Mauch, Ph.D.

President and Chief Executive Officer

As President and CEO of the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health (MAMH), Danna Mauch brings organizational leadership, operations management, evaluation research and strategic consulting experience gained in private and public sector enterprises.

Dr. Mauch’s prior service in the private sector includes ten years as Senior Fellow/Principal Associate at Abt Associates, Inc. She worked on behalf of foundations and governments and provided policy, evaluation and implementation assistance addressing insurance, service delivery and financing reforms targeted to individuals with complex health risks and disabling health conditions. Skilled in linking large data sets to advance accountability, clinical and cost improvements, Dr. Mauch contributed to designing system solutions for government clients’ compliance with legal and regulatory reforms. Prior to joining Abt, Dr. Mauch was Chief Administrative Officer for Comprehensive NeuroScience, Inc., Founding President and Chief Executive Officer for Magellan Public Solutions, Inc., and Founder and President of Integrated Health Strategies, Inc.

Dr. Mauch has a long career in public service. She presently serves as Court Monitor for the U.S. District Court of Western Washington, addressing forensic services reforms at the junction of the health, disability and justice systems. Her prior service includes Special Master for the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia; Executive Director of the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals; and Assistant Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, overseeing the Divisions of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Forensic Medicine.

Her population-focused work addresses a broad range of at-risk and vulnerable groups of children, adults and elders, including persons with autism spectrum disorders, behavioral health conditions, HIV/AIDS, multiple chronic conditions, criminal justice involvement, military and veteran status, and homelessness.

Dr. Mauch is a published author of government and foundation reports, book chapters and journal articles on the organization, financing and delivery of care to vulnerable populations. To support health promotion, illness prevention and early intervention, she has served as a volunteer officer of several governing boards, including a regional health care conversion foundation, a national youth development and prevention organization, an urban elementary and middle school, and state health care reform initiatives.

Dr. Mauch holds a PhD in Social Policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University.

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Kate Alicante, M.P.H.

Senior Policy Research Associate

As a Senior Policy Research Associate, Kate Alicante works in collaboration with a range of stakeholders on executive, judicial, and legislative branch initiatives.

Before joining MAMH, Kate worked in the Joint Committee on Public Health at the Massachusetts State House as a Research Analyst. She summarized, analyzed, and made recommendations on pending public health legislation and met with stakeholders, lobbyists, and advocates regarding matters before the Committee to inform her analysis and recommendations. In addition, she was the staff lead for the Racial Inequities in Maternal Health Commission.

Kate earned her MPH from Boston University School of Public Health with a concentration in Health Law & Policy and her B.S. from the University of Florida.

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Maddy Brogan, M.P.H.

Program Associate for Communications and Special Projects

As Program Associate for Communications and Special Projects, Maddy coordinates MAMH's social media outreach and provides research, communications, and administrative support in connection with MAMH advocacy and special initiatives.

Maddy brings dynamic communication and interpersonal skills from a wide range of public health experience. She assisted in the creation, surveying, and community outreach for the Cayuga County Health Department’s 2019-2021 Community Health Assessment for the NYS 2019-2024 Prevention Agenda. She also worked as a contact tracer/case investigator for the NYS COVID-19 Response where she provided affected individuals with public health guidance, connected people with community supports, documented needed information, and actively communicated with state and county health department staff. Before joining the staff, Maddy interned with MAMH, where she worked on issues related to mental health parity.

Maddy holds a master’s degree in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree from the University at Albany.

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Cassie Cramer, LICSW

Project Manager for Older Adult Behavioral Health

Cassie Cramer oversees the Older Adult Behavioral Health Network. She brings more than a decade of experience supporting at-risk older adults living in the community.


Cassie has worked in Elder Protective Services and as a clinician on one of the state’s first older adult behavioral health outreach teams (EMHOTS). She is a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) and has a background in peer, aging and cross-disability advocacy. She is co-chair of the Older Adult Behavioral Health Collaborative and leads the Older Adult Behavioral Health Network, where she advocates for critical statewide behavioral health, peer and wellness supports to help older adults live in the community or setting of their choice.

Cassie has a Master’s in Social Work from Simmons College and an advanced graduate certificate in Expressive Arts. She studied law and psychology as an undergraduate at Oberlin College.

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Nicola Holness, M.B.A.

Director for Administration and Finance

As the Director for Administration and Finance at MAMH, Nicola Holness leads and manages all aspects of the organization’s administrative operations and fiscal management. She plays a significant role in external relationships with government, health organizations, professional societies, stakeholder organizations, and the community-at-large.

Nicola brings to her role two decades of increasingly senior experience, spanning a wide range of management functions. Her expertise lies within strategic planning, grants management, financial management, personnel management and administrative operations.

Prior to joining MAMH, Nicola served as Senior Operations Lead for Partners In Health, United States, where she oversaw administration, finance, operations and HR. Nicola has also held various senior administrator roles within the Massachusetts General Brigham system and Harvard University, including as Administrative Manager and Senior Grants Manager.

Nicola received her B.S. from the University of Massachusetts, Boston and her MBA from Simmons University.

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Jennifer Honig, J.D.

Co-Director of Public Policy and Government Relations

As Co-Director of Public Policy and Government Relations at MAMH, Jennifer Honig works in collaboration with a range of stakeholders on executive, judicial, and legislative branch initiatives.

Jennifer has decades of experience leading legal advocacy on behalf of individuals with mental health issues who seek access to services and protection of fundamental rights. She has expertise in the areas of mental health care, education, rights in carceral facilities, the right to accept or refuse treatment, and disability discrimination. In pursuit of change, she has engaged in individual and systemic advocacy, institutional reform litigation, training, writing, and mentoring.

Before coming to MAMH, Jennifer was a Senior Staff Attorney at the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee (MHLAC) of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. At MHLAC, she led the DYS Project, which sought to improve access to educational and mental health services for youth involved with the Department of Youth Services and served as a Chair of the Coalition for the Legal Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CLRD). Prior to working at MHLAC, Jennifer worked for Massachusetts Law Reform Institute as an advocate for clients of methadone treatment programs, and as a volunteer attorney for the Volunteer Lawyers’ Project and the Women’s Bar Association. Jennifer attended Harvard College and Georgetown University Law Center.

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MAMH Advancement Coordinator, Leah Landry

Leah Landry

Associate Director for Communications and Advancement

Leah Landry works to tell the story of MAMH to various stakeholder groups including mainstream media, partners, funders, donors and other potential supporters; and assists with Board engagement and activities.

At MAMH, Leah provides direction for ongoing digital and traditional communications, advancement, and development. She also supports critical special projects like expanding access to mental health education, our annual Friend & Leader Award Dinner, #JustAsk, and our Well Being in the Time of COVID initiative.

Leah brings strong public relations, communication and collaboration skills from more than 10 years of experience in public radio at an NPR-affiliate in upstate New York. While in media, Leah hosted the morning news show, produced a health-focused radio program called Take Care, managed grant funding, assisted in fundraising efforts, managed the station’s website/social media and held many other roles demonstrating her commitment to advancing the mission of non-profit organizations. Leah is a graduate of the State University of New York College at Oswego.

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Co-Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, Jessica Larochelle

Jessica Larochelle, S.M.

Co-Director of Public Policy and Government Relations

As Co-Director for Public Policy and Government Relations, Jessica Larochelle works in collaboration with a range of stakeholders on executive, judicial and legislative branch initiatives at MAMH.

Jessica brings to her role deep experience in policy analysis, program development, advocacy and implementation. Her prior work in health care reform and knowledge dissemination, combined with her longstanding commitment to vulnerable children, families and adults with health, disability and economic challenges prepares her well to implement the MAMH policy and legislative agenda.

Prior to joining MAMH, Jessica served as the Director of Evaluation and Strategic Initiatives at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) Foundation, where she led evaluation efforts to assess the effectiveness and impact of the Foundation’s grantmaking investments.

Jessica also worked as Field Director for Families USA, a national nonprofit consumer health advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. There she worked with advocates from across the nation on Medicaid defense, as well as Affordable Care Act implementation and public education. Prior to her time at Families USA, Jessica served as Executive Director of Consumer Health Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to expanding access to quality, affordable health care in Pittsburgh, PA.

Jessica holds a master’s degree in Health Policy and Management from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.

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Lina Stolyar, M.P.P.

Senior Policy and Program Research Associate

As Senior Policy and Program Research Associate, Lina Stolyar supports outreach and education activities through research, data analysis, and project management.

Prior to joining MAMH, Lina worked at the Kaiser Family Foundation as a Policy Analyst with the Program for Medicaid and the Uninsured. She has worked for the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families providing data analysis and for the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Ariadne Labs as a Project Coordinator. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Tufts University and a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University.

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Jenifer Urff, J.D.

Director of Knowledge Dissemination and Technical Assistance

Jenifer Urff leads MAMH's outreach and education activities, including the dissemination of research findings and evidence-based practices related to mental health, substance use, and prevention.

Jenifer works across stakeholder communities to build consensus on behavioral health policy and program development. Jenifer has more than 20 years of experience managing federal and state contracts to deliver technical assistance, training, and creative products to support people living with mental health issues and promote resilience.

Prior to joining MAMH, Jenifer led state technical assistance activities at the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD). From 2014-2017, she was Director of Recovery for the MA Department of Mental Health’s Western Area, where she managed contracts for the peer-led Recovery Learning Community and Afiya, one of fewer than 20 peer-run respite programs in the country, and established and led a Task Force on Trauma-Informed Approaches. From 2003-2014, Jenifer was Deputy Director of Mental Health at Advocates for Human Potential (AHP). From 1999-2003, she served as Director of Government Relations and then Senior Policy Counsel at NASMHPD. Jenifer is a graduate of the University of North Dakota and the University of Michigan Law School.

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Consultants

MAMH Senior Policy Consultant, Louise Povall

Louise Povall, MHSM

Senior Policy Consultant

As a Senior Policy Consultant, Louise leads strategic plan development, financial planning, state and federal policy analysis, and grant development.

Louise is a 30-year health care executive and strategic advisor, specializing in government-funded health care plans and programs, including Medicaid, Medicare and dual-eligibles. Previous work includes establishing a dual eligible financial alignment demonstration plan in Rhode Island for Neighborhood Health Plan where she served as Vice President for Medicare/Medicaid Integration.

Louise has worked as a health care consultant for many years providing strategic advisory services to a myriad of clients in both health and mental health. She also served the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for 20 years. She held both the CFO and COO posts at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and at the Massachusetts Medicaid agency.

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MAMH Senior Consultant, Robert Fleischner

Robert Fleischner, J.D.

Senior Consultant

Robert Fleischner is the former Assistant Director at the Center for Public Representation and has been practicing mental disability law since 1973. He is a national expert on Protection and Advocacy (P&A) access, advance directives and guardianship.

Robert has served on the faculty of the Western New England Law School and Smith College School of Social Work. He is the co-author of Guardianship and Conservatorship in Massachusetts, published by Lexis, and has written several law review articles. A Boston College Law School graduate, Robert has litigated community integration, civil commitment, prison mental health, juvenile justice, guardianship and fair housing cases.

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Interns

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Avi Samaha

Intern

Avi Samaha is a graduate intern with MAMH for the 2024-2025 academic year, focusing on program and policy issues affecting older adults with behavioral health conditions.

Avi is a master’s degree student of Social Work and Public Policy at Simmons University in Boston. He earned his undergraduate degree in International Affairs and Environmental Studies from Northeastern University. While at MAMH, Avi will support new older adult initiatives related to housing, hoarding, and homelessness prevention, among other projects.

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MAMH Governing Board of Directors and Community Board of Advisors

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