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Meet our Executive Director Gary Chang is an attorney and is a parent of a child suffering from mental illness. Frustrated with finding suitable care for his adult child within the mental health system, Mr. Chang was driven to take an active role in PLAN. As Executive Director for PLAN, Mr. Chang strives to expand its ability to provide personal support services for the mentally disabled. In addition to serving as non-voting Secretary on the Board of Directors, Mr. Chang serves on the Business Committee, Investment Platform Committee and the Trust Oversight Committee. |
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Meet our Director of Social Services Bruce Lewitt has more than 15 years experience managing mental health programs and advising seriously mentally ill clients and their families. He was awarded "Best Practices in Crisis Management from The California Institute for Mental Health" in 2001 and 2002, and was co-recipient of a "Larson Endowment for Innovative Research and Teaching Award" from the University of Southern California School of Social Work in 2003. |
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Meet our PLAN Officers As the previous Executive Director and current Treasurer of PLAN (Planned Lifetime Assistance Network), Carla Jacobs is knowledgeable about a wide range of issues and programs impacting on people with these illnesses, and is particularly an authority on issues pertaining to Special Needs Trusts and Family and Disability issues. She is a Founding Board Member of the Treatment Advocacy Center and a past Board Member of NAMI-National. In 1992, Ms. Jacobs was elected to the NAMI-California Board. She served until recently as a Mental Health Commissioner for the County of Los Angeles and as a member of the Los Angeles City Task Force on Police and People with Mental Illness. A member of the legislative committee of the California Forensic Mental Health Association, Ms. Jacobs received the Christine West Award for Outstanding Service in the field of Forensics. A sought after national speaker, Ms. Jacobs has been the keynote speaker at a number of important conferences in the mental illness field, including a major conference organized by the U.S. Department of Justice in July, 2001 on People with Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System. She is also recipient of the American Psychiatric Association's Warren Williamson Award for her work with legislative advocacy, the E. Fuller Torrey NAMI Wolf's Award, and NAMI-California's Don and Peggy Richardson Award. She is a sibling of a man with schizophrenia. She has been a businesswoman all her working life. Marv Southard Marvin Southard is the Director of County of Los Angeles - Department of Mental Health. He leads the largest public mental health system in the country, serving over 200,000 clients annually in one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the nation with a budget of over $1 billion. Prior to this, he served in a similar capacity in Kern County for five years. Dr. Southard is a past President of the California Mental Health Directors Association (CMHDA) and a Commissioner on Los Angeles County Children and Families First - First 4 LA Commission. He has served as an Associate Clinical Professor at UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences; as a Senior Fellow, Public Policy at UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research; and as a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Dr. Southard's experience in academia also includes an eight-year stint teaching graduate psychosocial science courses for the Department of Social Work, California State University, Long Beach. His prior experience with the Los Angeles County public mental health system includes seven years as Vice President of Mental Health Programs and Director of Clinical Services at El Centro Human Services Corporation, and four more years in other positions with El Centro. Dr. Southard is the 2006 Social Worker of the Year for the National Association of Social Workers - California Chapter. He is the recipient of NAMI's 2003 award for Excellence in Community Mental Health Services presented in recognition of his ongoing efforts in building a comprehensive community care mental health system in Los Angeles County. He is also the recipient of the 2003 Tom Bradley Equal Opportunity award from the Los Angeles Metro Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration. A member of the American College of Mental Health Administrators, he actively participates, and has held leadership roles, in a variety of professional and community organizations, including the California Mental Health Directors Association, Southern California Mental Health Directors Association, Southern California Mental Health Directors Association, Kern County Network for Children, and California Social Work Education Consortium. A licensed clinical social worker, Dr. Southard received his master's degree in social work from University of California, Berkeley, after which he completed his post-graduate studies in social work at UCLA. Dr. Southard serves on the Board of Directors for PLAN of California. Joseph W. DeCarlo, MBA Joseph DeCarlo is a Certified Property Manager, Certified Commercial Investment Member and Counselor of Real Estate. He is a licensed Real Estate Broker in California and New York and is managing partner of JD Property Management. As a parent of an autistic and mentally retarded son, Mr. DeCarlo got into activism for Mental Illness over 30 years ago. Mr. DeCarlo became active with PLAN because he saw the need to provide help for disabled children who will outlive their parents. In addition to serving as volunteer President for PLAN, Mr. DeCarlo remains a member of the Board of Directors for the Coastline College Foundation and the Los Angeles Mental Health Association and Community Housing Resource, both non-profit organizations. Ann Eldridge Ann Eldridge is a retired registered nurse. In the late 70's when her son became ill, she got into activism for Mental Illness. The repeated query of many families as to what would happen to their relative with mental illness when they were no longer able stimulated her to take an active role in PLAN. Ms. Eldridge found a huge number of people who all shared the same experiences and who were willing to commit their time, as well as money, to work together to make the mental health system better. Many of whom have become her best friends. And they have had some significant successes. Professional honors or achievements: Ms. Eldridge is community volunteer, a Botany Department Aide at Santa Barbara City College, and a volunteer at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. As volunteer Vice President Ms. Eldridge seeks continued expansion of PLAN and to become a very well known and highly regarded agency. She envisions PLAN of California becoming a national model for other states. John Buck John Buck is the CEO at Turning Point Community Programs in Sacramento, California, a non-profit mental health agency providing psychiatric services, support, employment, housing and advocacy to people with disabilities and their families. Since his teenage years, Mr. Buck has known and befriended people struggling with mental health issues. He found others affected including military service personnel, fire fighters and college students. He found he had a knack for being with people during their crises. Mr. Buck hopes that PLAN will become a granting foundation and maybe a legislative and policy advocate. He feels that PLAN provides families with support, hope, and a sense of peace. Professional honors or achievements: |
