Katherine Grimes, MD, MPH

Katherine E. Grimes, MD, MPH, is a child psychiatrist and children’s health services researcher whose contributions to the field of child psychiatry were honored in 2016 by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Grimes is the Founder and Director of the Children’s Health Initiative, at Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), and was recently awarded a multi-year SAMHSA grant to study integrated systems-of-care for children. She also serves on the Child Health Services Research Interest Group for Academy Health, and is a consultant for the Center for Health Care Strategies, examining national trends in service use and expense. Dr. Grimes and her research team piloted shared training for pediatric residents and child psychiatry fellows in the delivery of mental health services for children within primary care in a study funded by the BCBSMA Foundation. She is currently extending that experience as an HMS – Academy member, with her medical education focus on teaching collaborative practice methods and improving workforce capacity.

Dr. Grimes is the PI for the longitudinal study of Massachusetts’ “Mental Health Services Program for Youth” (MHSPY), via a grant from the RWJ Foundation. MHSPY is an internationally recognized approach to cost-effective treatment of children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED). It was financially self-sustaining through a uniquely integrated system-of-care that relied on shared goals and blended funding across primary care, schools, juvenile justice, child welfare and mental health.

Dr. Grimes obtained her MPH from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and is a former Faculty Research Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her experience with designing and delivering integrated care in the public sector has led her to focus her health policy efforts on improving mental health access and treatment quality for children and adolescents.

Benjamin Cook, PhD, MPH

Benjamin Lê Cook, PhD, MPH (he/him) is Director of the Health Equity Research Lab, Vice Chair of Research, Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance, the Morris E. Chafetz Professor of Behavioral Science, Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and Visiting Clinical Associate Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. Dr. Cook is a health services researcher whose work focuses on improving quality of life and expanding equitable access to high-quality care for  individuals living with mental illness and substance use disorders.  His research, funded by the NIH, AHRQ and major foundations, examines healthcare disparities in the U.S., evaluates the impacts of health reform on disparities, investigates the pathways and life-course trajectories of mental illness and substance use, and assesses the impact of hospital- and system-based interventions to improve outcomes. He received a Ph.D. in Health Policy at Harvard University concentrating in Evaluative Science and Statistics, an MPH from UNC-Chapel Hill in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, and a BA in psychology from Swarthmore College.

Greg Hagan, MD, FAAP

Dr. Hagan is the Chief of Pediatrics at Cambridge Health Alliance, as well as a CHA Regional Medical Director, and recent past-President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MCAAP). As a key player in our recent five year grant to study integrated care for children, within a community-based, participatory research model, Dr. Hagan was instrumental in the design and implementation of the role of the primary care clinician in the integrated model. He also contributes his expertise as a mentor and preceptor for Harvard Medical School students and Massachusetts General Hospital pediatric residents to our clinical training initiatives.

Karen Martinez

She is a mother of four children and has devoted her life to ensuring that her children have the formal and informal supports needed to thrive. For over 15 years, she has worked to empower families raising children with mental health diagnoses—work that reflects her heartfelt passion. Karen offers parents guidance grounded in her own lived experiences, helping them identify their strengths and access the resources that support long‑term stability and self‑sufficiency.

Karen worked as the bilingual Family Partner for the Mental Health Services Program for Youth (MHSPY). During this time, she participated in Care Planning Team processes with parents/caregivers, teachers, and health care professionals, ensuring high fidelity to the Wraparound model. She supports parents and caregivers through education, coaching, modeling, and advocacy. Her work is rooted in cultural competence and respect for each family’s beliefs, values, activities, and customs.

Throughout her career, Karen has also contributed to several research study programs focused on family engagement, culturally responsive care, and improving outcomes for youth with behavioral health needs. Her participation has helped strengthen family voice within system‑of‑care models.

Karen obtained a degree in Early Childhood Education, Phi Beta Kappa, and worked as a Lead Teacher supporting the development of young children. She later continued her academic journey and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services, graduating summa cum laude.

Lindsay DiBona, LICSW

Lindsay DiBona, LICSW, is a social worker and serves as the Clinical Care Manager Supervisor for the Children’s Health Initiative at Cambridge Health Alliance. Lindsay brings previous integrated experience from her roles as Lead Pediatric Clinician for the Team UP (Transforming and Expanding Access to Mental Health in Urban Pediatrics) Project at Lowell Community Health Center and Healthy Steps Clinician at MGH Revere Health Center. Lindsay received her Masters in Social Work from Florida State University and completed the Infant-Parent Mental Health Postgraduate Certificate Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Gareth Parry, PhD

Gareth Parry, Ph.D (he/him), is a biostatistician at the Health Evaluation Research Lab within the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance. He serves as the Data Lead for the Bipolar Action Network, a national learning health network. His research focuses on learning health systems, health care delivery improvement, implementation initiatives, and safety and quality measures. He has a substantial record of peer-reviewed publications and has led or co-led numerous grant awards. Dr. Parry developed the Clinical Risk Index for Babies (CRIB) score , which was recognized as a Scientific Achievement of the Year by the UK Medical Research Council in 1994. He also established the Pediatric Intensive Care Audit Network (PICANet) in the United Kingdom and published the CRIB II update. His recent research includes evaluating the impact of value-based payment models on mental health care access, suicide risk in youth, and applying machine learning to identify patients at risk for opioid overdose in emergency departments. Dr. Parry previously chaired the Annual Scientific Symposium for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). He teaches biostatistics for the Harvard Global Clinical Scholars program. He earned his Ph.D. in Health Services Research from the University of Dundee.

Tim Button, MPH

Tim Button, MPH, previously spent 15 years at Truven Health Analytics managing and analyzing government healthcare claims databases. He is interested in ways that innovation and reform can reshape the healthcare delivery system, particularly around chronic illness and mental health.

Cecil Webster, MD

Cecil Webster is an instructor in psychiatry part time at Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) and Harvard Medical School, and the Clinical Program Director of Diversity Health Outreach Programs at MIT. He also maintains a private practice in Back Bay, Boston. Dr. Webster has been involved for five years in CHA’s integrated psychiatry/primary care clinic where he most recently served as rotation supervisor for child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. He has published and presented in areas including mental health/pediatrics integration, LGBT parents in primary care settings, school mental health consultation, and culturally mediated influences in psychotherapy such as racial/ethnic identity, and gender and sexuality. He completed his general residency at Baylor College of Medicine where he served as chief resident, and his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School. He is a former Diversity Leadership Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, as well as a former American Psychoanalytic Association Fellow.

Timothy Creedon , PhD

Timothy Creedon is a health services researcher with two decades of experience in mental health and addiction policy and research. Currently, he is Director of Health Services Research at Joint Commission. Previously, he served as a Senior Economist in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Dr. Creedon has a PhD in Social Policy from the Heller School, Brandeis University and a BA in History from Tufts University.

Molly Prottas, LICSW

Molly Prottas, LICSW, is a social worker and Family Connections Clinical Care Manager with the Children’s Health Initiative at Cambridge Health Alliance. She brings experience supporting children’s mental health across multiple systems, including hospital and school-based settings. Molly is passionate about expanding children’s access to mental health care through collaborative and multidisciplinary partnerships, with a strong commitment to helping families navigate and actively participate in the complex systems within their children’s lives. She received her Master’s in Social Work from Simmons College.

Courtney Gibeley, LCSW

Courtney Gibeley, LCSW, is a Clinical Care Manager on the Family Connections team at Cambridge Health Alliance. Her clinical background includes working with young adults experiencing homelessness at Bridge Over Troubled Waters, supporting children with complex behavioral health needs in Franciscan Children’s Hospital’s CBAT program, and providing risk assessments and crisis intervention services to youth through North Suffolk Community Services MCI. Courtney received her Master’s in Social Work from Boston University, with a concentration in Child and Adolescent Trauma and Violence.

Betina Vargas

Betina Vargas is a Family Support Specialist working for Family Connections at Cambridge Health Alliance. Betina has 22 years of experience providing care to pediatric patients and their families. She is a mother of four who possesses first hand knowledge of raising children with various mental health challenges across different age ranges.

Leyda Pereyra

Leyda Pereyra is a Family Support Specialist working for Family Connections at Cambridge Health Alliance. Leyda has over 15 years of experience providing care to pediatric patients and their families. Leyda possesses firsthand knowledge of raising children with various mental health challenges across different age ranges.

Ankita Maity, MPH

Ankita Maity, MPH, is the Program Administrator, Research for the Children’s Health Initiative at Cambridge Health Alliance. Ankita brings experience in behavioral health research, program evaluation, and community-based public health projects. Her work has focused on health equity, healthcare access, and improving outcomes for underserved populations through research, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement. She received her MPH from Boston University, with a focus on Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Global Health Program Design, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Sarah Faso, MPH

Sarah Faso, MPH (she/hers), is a Research Coordinator at Cambridge Health Alliance. In addition to her background in research, Sarah brings experience in connecting clients to services from her time as referral coordinator at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. She received her MPH from Boston University, focusing on Maternal and Child Health.

Analise Peleggi, MD

Jasmine Nunez