PALS - Michael Cohen, MA, CAGS

Michael J. Cohen is the Executive Director of National Alliance on Mental Illness, NH (NAMI NH) Mr. Cohen (Mike) has worked in the field of mental health administration and research for over twenty-five years. Concurrent with his position at NAMI NH Mr. Cohen is a consultant to the Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center and also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at Dartmouth Medical School, Department of Psychiatry. He has also served as a school counselor, Director of a Community Mental Health Center, Director of an Assertive Case Management Team (ACT) and as the Associate Director of a Clinical Drug Trial Research Program at a Psychiatric Hospital.

His mental health services research experience includes the study of cost effective outcome for cocaine treatment, assessment and treatment planning methodology for older adults with mental illness and the development and implementation of Evidenced-Based Practice Resource Implementation Kits for the treatment of adults with serious mental illness. Currently he is working on a Social Security Administration funded research project to study supported employment, an evidenced based practice, and medication treatment guidelines as vehicles for returning SSDI recipients back into the competitive employment.

As an active advocate for consumers with mental illness and their families Mr. Cohen has been involved with PALS for the past four years. He has participated in National PALS meetings, regional PALS meetings and has served on planning committees for regional PALS and for the past 2 years has served on the National PALS Advisory Board.

Mr. Cohen received his BA and Masters degrees from the City University of New York and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Mr. Cohen’s has broad experience as a treatment provider, administrator, advocate and researcher in both mental health and healthcare, generally. These experiences combined with his knowledge of mental illnesses and developmental psychology, his personal experience as a parent of a daughter with mental illness, provides him with a deep understanding of the needs of families and consumers dealing with mental illness and the services and support systems necessary to promote recovery and build resilience.