Board of Directors Application pdf (available as word doc)

OFFICERS

Joel V. Oberstar, MD, President, is originally, from Chisholm, Minnesota. He attended college at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1997 with a BA, majoring in English and biology with distinction. Dr. Oberstar attended the first two years of medical school at the University of Minnesota-Duluth prior to completing his clinical training at the University of Minnesota Medical School, graduating with a Doctorate in Medicine in 2001. Following medical school, Dr. Oberstar pursued three years of general psychiatry training at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training Program in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2004, he returned to Minnesota to complete two years of fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Oberstar is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he is Associate Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship. His clinical work primarily consists of providing care to children and adolescents admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit. Dr. Oberstar is Board Certified in Psychiatry and in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Kathy Kosnoff, JD, Vice President, has represented children with mental illnesses and their families for more than 20 years in direct advocacy, policy development, and legislative lobbying. During most of that time, Kosnoff served as staff attorney with the Minnesota Disability Law Center. She was one of the drafters of the Children’s Mental Health Act and created the legislation for the Advance Psychiatric Directive, as well as many other legislative initiatives on behalf of children and adults with mental illnesses. Kathy has served on numerous state agency policy committees on behalf of the service needs, education entitlements, and civil rights of children and families affected by mental illness. Since leaving the Minnesota Disability Law Center, Kathy’s consulting practice has most recently focused on training parents and professionals on law-related issues affecting children in residential placement. She also serves, on contract with the Minnesota Department of Education, as a mediator in special education matters and as an IEP facilitator. She has two wonderful daughters, two fabulous cats, and a very tolerant husband.

Inez Bersie-Mize, LMFT, Secretary, works primarily with children, adolescents, and their families and has been a mental health professional for nine years. She is currently the clinical director for the University Day Community STARS program at the University of Minnesota where she supervises staff and helps children and their families gain higher levels of functioning at home, in the community, and at school. Bersie-Mize also has a part-time private practice at Mid West Centers for Personal and Family Development in St. Paul. Her goal is to guide families and children to an understanding of themselves and their world.

J. Colleen Breen, M.A., LICSW, Treasurer, has worked as a mental health professional with Fairview Behavioral Services in Minneapolis for more than 20 years. Through direct service and numerous committee involvements, Colleen has focused on family mental health. She is active in the education and training of health professionals throughout the Twin Cities. She is currently involved in a special project at Fairview establishing a Family Resource Center, with special emphasis given to children and adolescents with mental health issues. Colleen is also a psychotherapist in private practice in Minneapolis.

Deborah Saxhaug, Executive Director for MACMH since 1992, has a background in child, adolescent, and family therapy. Before working for MACMH, she was the director of a day treatment program for Human Resource Associates and worked as a psychotherapist in private practice. Today, she provides the MACMH staff and board with the leadership and vision necessary to keep MACMH at the forefront of education and advocacy issues. She also serves on several committees that seek effective and innovative ways to make the current mental health care system responsive to the needs of families.

DIRECTORS

Socorro Felton, a native of Mexico City, has lived in Minnesota for the last 21 years. She has worked for 3 years with mentally handicapped adults and for the past 4 1/2 years as a family liaison, providing support and information to parents of children with mental health disorders. Her area of expertise is cultural competency issues—she is especially interested in ensuring that Latinos have more information about mental health and that service providers learn about cultural competency. She also serves on the board of directors of the Minnesota Parent Leadership Network (MPLN).

Rev. Bart A. Fletcher, MDiv, is a United Methodist pastor with more than twenty years of experience providing leadership in the faith community, with a focused concern for the well being of children and youth.  While fulfilling his vocational calling as a parish pastor, he has worked in the state court system as a Guardian Ad Litem  and at the county level as a foster parent.  Bart has served on numerous denominational working committees at the local, regional and national levels and is currently a member of the Blue Earth County Local Advisory Committee for Mental Health.   With his wife Claudia he is the adoptive parent of twelve children, ten of whom were older “waiting children” in the foster care system, and two of who were older children living in a Guatemalan orphanage.  Their children currently range in age from 11 – 23.  Their multicultural, transracial family includes children who are Hispanic, Asian, Biracial and Caucasian.  Bart and Claudia have recently published their first book, Out of Many, One Family: How Two Parents Claimed Twelve Children Through Adoption.

Kerry D. Frank, PhD, is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of St Thomas. His research and teaching are directed toward preparing counselors to work with diverse populations, emphasizing cultural competencies. His expertise is in the area of social psychology; in particular, the social psychology of the self, self-efficacy, self-concept/esteem, social comparisons, conflict resolution, and racial identity. He is a trainer of trainers in cooperative learning, having studied with Dr. David W. Johnson at the University of Minnesota. He has presented in his field of expertise at international, national, and state conferences.

Philip Kampa,
Growing up, Phil was “on the patient end of mental health”. Over his childhood years he received several different mental health diagnoses which changed as he grew up. At age 12 he began experimenting with drugs, by age 18 he had developed an addiction – often using drugs to self medicate. In July 2008, Phil went to treatment for his addition. Now sober and a student at Inver Hills Community College he is excited to share what he has learned about drug abuse, addiction and mental health to help others. Phil also works part-time as a PCA in a group home for men with mobility issues and cognitive disabilities. Before becoming a MACMH board member Phil donated his time as a volunteer at the MACMH annual child and adolescent mental health conference.

Lisa Peterson Moschkau, RN, earned her BSN in nursing from the College of St. Benedict, and while employed in Student Development there, she developed a keen interest in working to address the concerns of young women. Since then she has worn many hats: she works at the St. Cloud Surgical Center (and has for nearly 20 years), she volunteers as a girl scout leader, camp nurse, and religious education instructor, and she serves as an advocate for children’s mental health in Central Minnesota.

Danny Porter, MSW, LICSW, has over 15 years experience working with children, adolescents, and their families in public, residential, hospital, and day treatment programs. He is currently a school social worker with Northeast Metro Intermediate School District 916. Dan also works as a Contract/Consulting Therapist for the Domestic Abuse Project for their Children’s Group. Additionally, he provides Clinical Supervision to Social Workers for the Profession Matrix. He received his BA in Social Work and Sociology, his Masters in Clinical Social Work, and has a Director of Special Education License. Dan serves on the Board of Directors for Minnesota School Social Workers Association and Arlington House. Dan has presented at numerous conferences throughout Minnesota on topics such as strategies for supporting youth, promoting student self-esteem, ethical issues, and school-based social skills programs.

Linda Walinski, R.N., M.A., L.P., has worked professionally in a variety of health care settings for 37 years as a clinician, educator and manager. She is currently in private practice as a psychologist in East Central Minnesota working with children, adolescents and families. She is also the adoptive mother of five children, four of whom have complex brain damage and illness. She has learned over the past twelve years how brain disorders affect all facets of functioning including, physical, cognitive, emotional, social, sensory-motor and behavioral. They have helped teach her about community resources that are helpful and those that need improvement.  She and her husband have learned how to take care of themselves and their relationship in order to thrive and delight in these most precious children. Linda’s passion is children. She is dedicated to facilitating the “tribe” (caregivers, educators, social workers, medical and mental health professionals, court systems and lawmakers) in providing appropriate healthy development supports to these children and their families so they may reach their maximum potential.