Deana Leber-George, MEd, PCC-S, is a consultant and trainer at the Center for Evidence-Based Practices at Case Western Reserve University and its Ohio Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Coordinating Center of Excellence (SAMI CCOE) and Ohio Assertive Community Treatment Coordinating Center of Excellence (ACT CCOE). She provides technical assistance (program consultation, clinical consultation, and training) to service systems and organizations that are implementing evidence-based practices, emerging best practices, and other strategies that improve quality of life and other outcomes for people diagnosed with severe mental illness and substance use disorders.
Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Leber-George worked in community-based behavioral healthcare. During her 16 years in the field, she held many positions and executed many responsibilities for the provision of care to people with co-occurring disorders, including program development, management, training, and supervision. Among her many accomplishments, the Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) Team that she supervised received recognition at the national and state level for its program development and clinical service: her team received the Science to Service Award from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Ohio's Lynn Goff Spirit of Integrated Treatment Award. Ms. Leber-George has also been recognized individually for her work. She received the Elaine P. Waytes Unsung Hero Award from the Lake County Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board for her leadership with the Victim of Crime Program in Lake County, Ohio.
Ms. Leber-George has been an educator and trainer for the past 13 years and has designed and delivered courses for colleges and universities and behavioral healthcare organizations which provide mental health and addiction services. Her areas of expertise include the following:
- Leadership
- Management
- Clinical Supervision
- Staff Engagement and Retention
- Improving Organizational Culture
- Professional/ Workforce Development
- Implementation Strategies for Best Practices
- Interventions for Co-Occurring Disorders (mental health & substance abuse)
- Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT)
- Dual Diagnosis Capability in Mental Health Treatment (DDCMHT)
- Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment (DDCAT)
- Motivating Behavior Change
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)
Ms. Leber-George earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio and a Master of Education in Community Counseling from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.