The Center for Co-Occurring Disorders in Houston, TX
Addressing addiction and co-occurring mental and physical health issues together
The Council on Recovery’s Center for Co-Occurring Disorders is a groundbreaking initiative designed to address substance use, mental health and medical conditions together. Substance use and mental health disorders often go hand-in-hand, with the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimating that about half of those who experience a substance use disorder will experience a mental illness during their lives and vice versa. The picture becomes even more complex when considering other chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Despite the well-established link between these conditions, many treatment providers cannot or do not address substance use together with other behavioral and physical health conditions, which leads to increased costs, duplication of services, and – most importantly – poorer outcomes overall. The Council’s Center for Co-Occurring Disorders responds to this critical challenge.
This project will strengthen and expand our comprehensive service offerings around the intersection of substance use and other chronic conditions. It will provide teaching, training and learning opportunities to our own staff, other professionals, and the community. It will create cooperation among public and private partners, develop effective systems of care, and expand access to the quality care that our community needs.
For more information, read the Center for Co-Occurring Disorders' white paper.
Advisory Panel for the Center for Co-Occurring Disorders
The Advisory Panel is made up of community partners, funders, and key stakeholders with interest and expertise in co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. It was created as part of our commitment to lead a collaborative, community-based effort that finally and definitively addresses co-occurring substance use and mental health.
Led by Mary Beck, LMSW, CAI, President & CEO of The Council on Recovery, this panel provides input on community needs, guides and informs the development of a collaborative service program, assists with piloting service delivery, develops key performance measures and service delivery objectives, monitors performance, and disseminates findings and best practices to the community.
Diane Arms
Diane has previously served as Director of Health Integration at Avenue 360 Health and Wellness, Director of Prevention and Counseling at the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans, and with the Harris County Health Care Alliance as Program Manager facilitating leadership meetings amongst local FQHCs to proactively identify, address, and resolve systemic issues. She received both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Mary H. Beck, LMSW, CAI
Mary represents the agency on the Board of the Network of Behavioral Health Providers, is a member of the Texas Association of Substance Abuse Programs, and an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow. She also is an adjunct faculty member for the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston - the same school from which she received her Master’s Degree in Social Work in 1998. Prior to joining The Council, Mary served as Director of the Center for Organizational Research and Effectiveness at the University of Houston, providing nonprofit evaluation and consulting services.
Aaron Fink, M.D.
Dr. Fink studied child development and early childhood education at University of Texas at Austin. He then obtained his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Fink then completed a residency in general psychiatry and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Fink is in private practice. He is also an Associate Clinical Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and at McGovern Medical School. Dr. Fink serves on the Advisory Board of the Council on Recovery. He is a past president of the Houston Psychiatric Society and Houston Group Psychotherapy Society (HGPS). He currently chairs HGPS' Community Outreach Committee. He helped found the Attention-Deficit Disorder Association-Southern Region.
Stephen M. Glazier, MBA, FACHE
He has also held leadership positions in several large academic medical centers. In his various positions he has been responsible for overseeing all of the clinical and quality programs for the hospitals he has led. In addition to oversight of hospital operations, Mr. Glazier’s responsibilities have included the integration of private physician practices into a hospital based multi-specialty clinic. Mr. Glazier currently serves as Chair of the Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services and as a member of the Texas Statewide Behavioral Health Coordinating Council, The Mental Health Needs Council and the Network of Behavioral Health Professionals.
Keena Pace, LCSW
In this capacity, she has oversight of the agency’s vast array of programs that provide services to over 88,000 people per year while leading collaborative efforts with community partners and stakeholders to better address the needs of those living with behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disability needs. Keena is Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She attended Texas Christian University and received a Bachelors in Social Work. She has a Master’s degree from University of Texas at Arlington. She participates in National Association of Social Workers and is a Board member for the Association of Substance Abuse Providers in Texas.
Kimberly Parks, M.D.
Walt Parmer
Walt Parmer is a connector of people. In 2020, he founded Revenue Conductors to both support and lead clients through sales strategy, execution, and raising capital. Previously Walt served in sales management roles for Dell, IBM, Gartner, Genesis Park, Performance Waterline, and various start-ups. He graduated from The University of the South with a B.A. in History and is a Watson Foundation Fellow.
He serves on The Council on Recovery Board, Archway Academy's board, served on re:MIND’s board, and facilitated a re:MIND weekly support meeting for individuals living with, or family and friends, affected by depression and / or bipolar. Walt has a passion for helping to eliminate the stigma of alcoholism, addiction, and mental health disorders.
Lad Rack, CRM, CRIS
Lad Rack is the Vice President of Business Development for Aon, a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement, and health solutions. He is a long-serving board member of The Council on Recovery, and co-chaired its 33rd Annual Spring Luncheon with Patrick Kennedy, as well The Council’s annual Holiday Party supporting women and children’s services. He is a Masters student at Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies, focused on Integrated Recovery for Co-Occurring Disorders (IRCOD).
Asim A. Shah, M.D.
Dr. Shah has done numerous media presentations and is the only Pakistani psychiatrist who is seen on FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC, NPR, PBS, and CNN. He has over 100 peer-reviewed publications. He has received two Fulbright and Jaworski awards. He further received "Rising Star Clinician Award" from Baylor in 2014. He also was named by Houstonia Magazine and Castle Connolly in their Top Doctors list for Houston from 2013-2020. He is currently Chair for Mental Health America Houston. He just received the prestigious “Clark Faculty Service Award” and “Allies of Women of Excellence Award 2020”. He is also Chair Mental Health Task Force Fort Bend County, member Health Equity Response Task Force for Mayor and co-chair Public Health Committee for Mayor Houston for COVID-19.