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Tags Posts tagged with "Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health"

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health

Villanova, PA – April 8, 2026 – Devereux, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of behavioral healthcare, today announced that Kyle Gravel, M.S., LMFT, BCBA, CCATP-CA, ASDCS, has been selected for the newly created position of vice president of autism services, effective immediately.

As a member of Devereux’s executive leadership team, Gravel will oversee strategies, innovations and expansion efforts of the organization’s new national autism services division. Specifically, he will lead the development and execution of a national autism expansion strategy, assess existing service offerings, identify areas for strategic growth, and drive a growth-based business plan focused on service innovation. Gravel also will ensure alignment and consistency across all Devereux autism programs, while promoting evidence-based practices and high standards of compassionate care.

“Kyle is a strategic and visionary leader, and we are thrilled to welcome him to our team,” said Devereux Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Rhea Fernandes, Psy.D. “His expertise will be instrumental as we grow our national autism services division, expanding our reach and deepening our impact across the country. Kyle will be responsible for strengthening and elevating our services so we can continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the individuals and families we are privileged to serve.”

About Kyle Gravel, M.S., LMFT, BCBA, CCATP-CA, ASDCS
Kyle Gravel, M.S., LMFT, BCBA, CCATP-CA, ASDCS, holds more than 20 years of experience driving scalable performance, data integration and multidisciplinary collaboration across national healthcare and behavioral health organizations. Prior to joining Devereux, Gravel spent eight years at Cortica in San Diego, most recently serving as vice president/head of regional operations. His previous roles at Cortica included area director of operations; regional director of cognitive and behavior therapies; director of cognitive and behavior therapies; and associate director of cognitive and behavior therapies. Before this, Gravel spent 10 years at Behavioral Support Partnership in Garden Grove, California, most recently in the role of director of parent training services.

Gravel earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Science in clinical psychology from California State University, Fullerton. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist; Board Certified Behavior Analyst; certified child and adolescent anxiety treatment professional; certified autism spectrum disorder clinical specialist; and is pivotal response treatment certified, level 2.

About Devereux
Devereux is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit organizations, providing services, insight and leadership in the evolving field of behavioral healthcare. Founded in 1912, Devereux operates a comprehensive national network of clinical, therapeutic, educational and employment programs that positively impact the lives of more than 10,000 children, adults – and their families – every year. The organization’s unique approach combines evidence-based interventions with compassionate family engagement.

With nearly 6,500 employees working in programs across the country, Devereux is a trusted partner for families, schools and communities, serving many of our country’s populations in the areas of autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, specialty mental health, education and foster care. For more than a century, Devereux has been guided by a simple and enduring mission: To change lives by unlocking and nurturing human potential for people living with emotional, behavioral and cognitive differences. Learn more: www.devereux.org.

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Hearing All Perspectives: The Development of a Multi-State, Multi-Diagnosis Youth Advisory Council
Free RCPA Members-Only Webinar

Wednesday, August 6, 2025
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Register Here

This presentation will discuss the formation of a novel and innovative version of a standard Youth Advisory Council (YAC). This particular YAC adds a twist to the traditional means of involving youth by creating a council combining voices of individuals served who have two very different diagnoses: those with an emotional/behavioral disorder (EBD) and those with an autism/intellectual disability (ASD/IDD). Spanning across three states, this internal YAC has been established to hear the voices of and to teach leadership principles and skills to those who are receiving the services offered by Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health.

Presenters:

  • Amy Kelly, MBA, MNM, National Director of Family Engagement, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health
  • Judy Starr, JD, Deputy General Counsel, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health

Objectives: Following this course, the learner will:

  • Describe the value of constituents’ voices from services and programs provided, regardless of individual communication type, cognitive ability, or diagnosis;
  • Discuss how to engage leadership and staff to support and sponsor a youth/constituent advisory council; and
  • List some “lessons from the journey” with do’s and don’ts when developing a youth advisory council.

Certificates of attendance are available to RCPA members who attend this webinar; anyone interested in a certificate should contact Cathy Barrick. To apply for CEs, you will need to register for the RCPA Annual Conference Strive to Thrive and indicate you attended the webinar in your CE packet, which will be made available on the mobile app.

Contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, for details, or visit the RCPA Conference website for information on workshops, sponsors, exhibitors, and more!

Hearing All Perspectives: The Development of a Multi-State, Multi-Diagnosis Youth Advisory Council
Free RCPA Members-Only Webinar

Wednesday, August 6, 2025
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Register Here

This presentation will discuss the formation of a novel and innovative version of a standard Youth Advisory Council (YAC). This particular YAC adds a twist to the traditional means of involving youth by creating a council combining voices of individuals served who have two very different diagnoses: those with an emotional/behavioral disorder (EBD) and those with an autism/intellectual disability (ASD/IDD). Spanning across three states, this internal YAC has been established to hear the voices of and to teach leadership principles and skills to those who are receiving the services offered by Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health.

Presenters:

  • Amy Kelly, MBA, MNM, National Director of Family Engagement, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health
  • Judy Starr, JD, Deputy General Counsel, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health

Objectives: Following this course, the learner will:

  • Describe the value of constituents’ voices from services and programs provided, regardless of individual communication type, cognitive ability, or diagnosis;
  • Discuss how to engage leadership and staff to support and sponsor a youth/constituent advisory council; and
  • List some “lessons from the journey” with do’s and don’ts when developing a youth advisory council.

Certificates of attendance are available to RCPA members who attend this webinar; anyone interested in a certificate should contact Cathy Barrick. To apply for CEs, you will need to register for the RCPA Annual Conference Strive to Thrive and indicate you attended the webinar in your CE packet, which will be made available on the mobile app.

Contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, for details, or visit the RCPA Conference website for information on workshops, sponsors, exhibitors, and more!

[Official Devereux Press Release]

 

Congratulations to Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical/Medical Officer Yolanda Graham, M.D., FAPA, DFAACAP, who was recently elected president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s (AACAP) Regional Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (RCCAP) of Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.

Graham, who joined RCCAP in 2020, previously served as secretary (2021-23) and president-elect (2023-24), before being elected president in June 2024.

The mission of AACAP and its regional councils is to “promote the healthy development of children, adolescents and families through advocacy, education and research, and to meet the professional needs of child and adolescent psychiatrists throughout their careers.”

“I am honored to be elected president of RCCAP of Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey,” said Graham. “Taking on this esteemed leadership role will allow me to serve as a representative of our regional council at AACAP’s general assembly meetings where I can elevate issues that impact our field to a national level. This includes recommending policy changes, best practice guidelines and system of care reforms that will ultimately benefit Devereux and the individuals and families we serve.”

Strengthening outreach; increasing advocacy
In her new position, Graham hopes to further the critical mission of RCCAP and AACAP to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and adolescents throughout the region.

“Chief among my goals is to provide greater outreach to early career psychiatrists, encouraging their active participation in RCCAP and AACAP, and strengthen engagement with medical students to cultivate the next generation of child and adolescent psychiatrists,” explained Graham. “I also hope to increase advocacy for children and adolescents by partnering with other child-serving trade organizations. Finally, recognizing the importance of a strong and cohesive leadership team, I want to develop a comprehensive onboarding training program for all new RCCAP board members.”

Engaging youth, families
Prior to taking on her role as president of RCCAP of Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, Graham was invited by AACAP President Tammy Benton, M.D., to serve as lead author for a chapter in a compendium, titled “Bringing the village to the child: Addressing the crisis of children’s mental health.” The compendium was published in July 2024 in the journal, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America.

Graham’s chapter – “Engaging youth voice and family partnerships to improve children’s mental health outcomes” – focuses on promoting active participation of families and youth in mental health systems of care.

“Youth and families are the true experts on their own strengths, needs and preferences. By elevating their perspectives, we can ensure our interventions and support systems are meeting them where they are now,” Graham noted. “This collaborative approach fosters a heightened sense of investment and engagement with youth and parent peer supports, and can lead to improved outcomes and sustainable change. Prioritizing the inclusion of families and young people is an essential component of building a mental health system that works for everyone.”

Learn more about Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health.