About Me: Danielle Garris

Danielle Garris, PhD
Chief Clinical Officer

Email: DanielleGarris@AchievementCtr.org

 

My “Why”:

Because everyone deserves to have a hand reaching out to them when they need it most.

I grew up in a small town that had a state prison and a state hospital that employed many of the town’s residents. The town also bordered an Indian Reservation.  I watched in the 80’s how the sudden closure of the state hospital impacted those who had received care in that institution — many were released suddenly with what appeared to be insufficient care or coordination of treatment.  The suffering was deep for these individuals and the stigma in the community was high.  Around this same time I also began to recognize the racial divide and mistreatment of the Native American community that lived in our town or on the Reservation; our school system served the children who resided on the Reservation, allowing me to form friendships that offered glimpses into generational mental health and substance abuse that went untreated.  There simply were not enough services available and the stigma around mental health was a barrier for accessing what limited services there were.  Contrast this with my experience accessing counseling services as a teen – the services were easily accessible and helped me heal.  Everyone deserves this level of access to help when they need it without burden, without shame.  After 17 years of providing mental health services and managing other clinicians, I decided to devote myself fully towards organizational leadership because I believe in the importance of guiding our organization’s clinical services and ensuring quality care for those we serve.

 

What I’ve Achieved:

Education Experience:

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Kent State University; M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Kent State University; B.A. in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Niagara University.

Previous Work Experience:

Psycho Diagnostic Clinic, Summa Health, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Federal Correctional Institution – McKean, Beacon Light Behavioral Health Services