About MagellanofAZ

Magellan Health Services Public Sector Team

Russell C. Petrella, Ph.D.
President, Magellan Behavioral Health

As president of Magellan Behavioral Health, Russell C. Petrella leads the company's employer, health plan, and public sector behavioral health business under a single management structure.

Prior to his role as president, Russ held the position of chief operating officer for public sector solutions. In this role, he oversaw the company's activities in the public sector mental health and substance abuse arena, including programs serving Medicaid recipients, uninsured individuals and families involved in the child welfare system through contracts with state and local governments. Prior to assuming this position, Russ served as Magellan's senior vice president of behavioral health operations for the public sector division, and previously, as senior vice president of marketing and development for the division.

Russ has more than 30 years experience as a clinician, provider and administrator of public mental health and substance abuse services. He spent seven years with the Michigan Department of Mental Health and more than ten years with the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, holding positions as director of mental health and substance abuse service and director of forensic services.

Russ received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Syracuse University and his doctorate in clinical psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. He is board-certified in forensic psychology. Russ is a past president of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, past president of the American Board of Forensic Psychology and has served as chairman of the State Mental Health Forensic Directors Association.

Malena Albo
National Director of Cultural Competency

Malena is the director of cultural competency for Magellan Health Services. In this position she provides leadership and guidance to our Public Sector programs on building a culturally proficient organization. Ensuring that Magellan's programs, policies and practices are linguistically appropriate, culturally competent and meeting the needs of our diverse member populations is just a piece of the overall design. In addition, Malena provides technical assistance, resources and training for Magellan staff on these topics.

Prior to joining Magellan, Malena worked in a variety of leadership positions in Arizona's not for profit, government and business sectors. She most recently worked as Arizona's Development Director for the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation, where she was responsible for fundraising and development activities for the programs in Arizona. In addition, she held the position of Director of Marketing & Public Affairs for ValueOptions, the Regional Behavioral Health Authority for Maricopa County as well as Assistant Director, Division of Aging and Community Services for the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

Malena is a second generation Arizona native and currently serves on a variety of local boards and commissions. She lives in Tempe with her family.

Deb Happ, Ph.D.
Vice President, Public Sector Solutions Operations

As vice president for public sector operations, Deb Happ oversees the implementation of new public sector business and the ongoing operations of Magellan's care management centers serving Medicaid recipients and other persons served through the public behavioral health system. Deb has been with Magellan for ten years. Prior to assuming her current position, Deb served as the general manager of Magellan's care management center in Dallas, TX which served both commercial and Medicaid populations. Previously, she was the vice president of clinical services for public sector.

Deb has over 30 years of experience in public mental health. Before joining Magellan, she was the executive director of a community mental health center in Minneapolis, Minnesota for ten years. Prior to that, she oversaw inpatient services for children and adolescents in both private and public hospital systems.

Deb received her bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and a doctorate in psychology from Ohio State University. She is a licensed psychologist.

Patricia A. Hunt
Director, Child and Family Resiliency Services, Public Sector Solutions Division

As the director of child and family resiliency services, Pat's role is key to the realization of resiliency and recovery throughout Magellan's operations and the lives of members we serve. Her responsibilities include promoting the meaningful involvement of families of children and youth; advancing family support and education; and highlighting the lived experiences of children, youth and their families to ensure that both our policy and practice support resiliency and recovery.

Pat has provided technical assistance in over 35 states regarding policy issues that affect children's behavioral health. Her work with families and the state, county and local leadership of cross-system, child-serving agencies that support them has contributed to the development and sustainability of local systems of care for children, adolescents and their families.

Prior to joining the Magellan team, Pat held a seven-year senior leadership position of director of the office of policy for the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. As the conduit for local grassroots experience to better inform national policy decisions, her long-standing relationship with families in Maricopa County has been essential.

Pat has provided family support as a VISTA Volunteer; directed a federally funded, rural substance abuse prevention project; and was the Executive Director of a statewide family-run organization for children's mental health. Pat served as a member of the steering committee for Georgetown University's Communities Can Leadership Academy and as faculty to several Policy Academies & Training Institutes. Pat was appointed by the President of Maine's Senate to a Legislative committee charged with oversight of landmark legislation for children and youth with behavioral health challenges and is a past nominee for both the Robert Woods Johnson and Lewis Hine Awards for Service to Children and Youth.

Rick Kamins, Ph.D.
Chief Clinical Officer, Public Sector Solutions Division

As chief clinical officer of Public Sector Solutions, Rick Kamins provides the clinical leadership, guidance and oversight for all of Magellan's public sector programs. Rick has played a lead role in designing Magellan's clinical delivery systems and has been an active force in expanding evidence-based practices, enhancing provider training, incorporating recovery/resiliency principles, advancing outcome measurements, and employing peer specialists. As the Chief Clinical Officer of Magellan Health Services of Arizona he provides the overall clinical leadership to our planning efforts in Maricopa County.

Rick received his bachelor's degree in Psychology and American Studies summa cum laude from the University of California at Davis and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Alabama. As a licensed psychologist, he has 20 years of experience in managed care working in public sector, commercial and self-insured programs in addition to providing mental health and substance abuse services to individuals and families at a county community mental health center. His areas of expertise include clinical risk assessment and treatment planning; recovery and resiliency-based services; program development; outcome management; and behavioral health system integration. He has trained over a thousand providers in evidence-based practices, outcome-oriented services, and recovery principles.

In addition to working at Magellan, Rick is a volunteer clinical instructor at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center Psychology Training Program and provides pro bono services for homeless and low-income families through the state's Mental Health Association.

Anne McCabe
Senior Vice President, Public Sector Solutions Division & Interim CEO, Magellan of Arizona

Anne is a veteran in the public sector behavioral health care arena. With a career spanning more than 30 years, she has worked for provider organizations, state government, and private companies focusing on the needs of individuals served through programs such as Medicaid and Medicare.

As senior vice president for Magellan's public sector business, Anne is responsible for leading the company's activities in the public sector mental health and substance abuse arena, including programs serving Medicaid recipients, uninsured individuals and families involved in the child welfare system through contracts with state and local governments.

She also currently serves as the interim CEO for Magellan of Arizona while we recruit for a full-time CEO. Magellan of Arizona is the regional behavioral health authority (RBHA) for the Maricopa County behavioral health Medicaid contract in Maricopa County, AZ.

Anne began her career at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey designing and operating employment and housing services for persons with serious mental illness. Over the last decade, she has held senior business development positions with Comprehensive NeuroScience Inc., Liberty Healthcare Corporation, and Magellan and its legacy company, Merit Behavioral Care.

Anne has a Masters degree in Social Welfare Administration from State University of New York at Albany.

Matt Miller
Director, Business Development Coordination, Public Sector Solutions Division

Matt has extensive experience working with public sector programs and stakeholders to develop effective systems of care. His background includes serving as Network Director for Magellan's HealthChoices programs in Pennsylvania, including developing network strategy, provider reimbursement methodologies, monitoring and reporting mechanisms and implementing a meaningful provider relations based approach to ensure provider input into the system. Matt also led the efforts in Pennsylvania in developing new programs and services for the HealthChoices program while serving as service systems development manager.

Matt's current responsibilities include strategic planning and proactive outreach to providers and other key stakeholders related to new business opportunities nationally. He provides leadership to Magellan's network staff in developing new networks and understanding unique local needs. Along with other Magellan staff members, Matt recently hosted Maricopa County provider forums in Phoenix to gain a better understanding of what providers expect in a Regional Behavioral Health Authority.

Prior to joining Magellan, Matt served as Vocational Specialist and Program Supervisor for Northwestern Human Services of Philadelphia. He holds a bachelor's of arts degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota where he majored in psychology and criminal justice.

Glenn Stanton
Senior Vice President, Business Development, Public Sector Solutions Division

Glenn Stanton is responsible for working in partnership with Maricopa County's community stakeholders, persons in recovery, providers and public purchasers to utilize Magellan's behavioral health expertise to improve the health outcomes for individuals and families. Since joining Magellan, Glenn has successfully led development of five programs devoted to promoting recovery and resiliency for adults and children.

He has more than 23 years of service within the public health care sector at the county, state and federal levels, much of that time devoted to assisting persons with disabilities. Prior to joining Magellan, Glenn served as the Director for the Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group, within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Within CMS, he provided leadership and organizational management for issues related to Medicaid State Plan and Waiver services directed to older adults and persons with disabilities. Glenn represented CMS on the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, and  led the development and implementation of the Department of Health and Human Services' (DHHS) self-directed health care initiative “Independence Plus,” directed several initiatives regarding quality in-home and community-based services, and was responsible for the review and approval of all state requests for managed mental health carve-out programs. Glenn's achievements in these areas earned him the “Excellence in Leadership Award.” He has also received three DHHS Secretarial Honor Awards.

Prior to his role with CMS, he served as the Director for the Bureau of Quality Management and Service Planning Innovation, within the Michigan Department of Community Health, where he was responsible for the nation's first public sector managed care program for individuals with both behavioral health and developmental disabilities. He also was responsible for the Quality Management System for Michigan's Medicaid Specialty Services and Supports waiver. Glenn also served as the Executive Director of a three-county Community Mental Health Service Program in Michigan.

Jennifer Tripp
Vice President, Public Sector Program Innovation, Public Sector Solutions Division

As vice president for Public Sector program innovation, Jennifer Tripp oversees the company's activities in the public sector related to innovation, best practices, self-determination, consumer and family empowerment, cultural competency, and technological transformation, among other responsibilities. Prior to assuming this position, she worked at the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership as the director of recovery and resiliency, and previously, as the director for external relations.

Jennifer's planning activities in Maricopa County build upon more than 10 years of experience developing collaborations between managed behavioral health organizations, consumers, family members, and advocates to promote innovative programs. For example, she helped launch initiatives such as a consumer leadership academy, self help and peer support meetings, consumer satisfaction team initiatives, statewide recovery conferences, as well as self-directed care programs. She also has experience in creating and overseeing prevention, education, and outreach programs.

Jennifer received her bachelors in public policy from Duke University and a masters of science in health policy and administration from the Harvard School of Public Health. She is a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness as well as the United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.

Moya Verzhbinsky, MBA
Vice President, Program Strategy, Public Sector Solutions Division

Moya Verzhbinsky has spent more than a decade designing and providing support to public sector programs. As vice president of program strategy, Moya conducts strategic planning activities, researches best practices, and analyzes behavioral health care trends, financing and market developments to support business development. She also supports public sector implementations in several areas including outreach and communications to enrollees, providers and other stakeholders. Previously, Moya served as vice president for market research & analysis for Magellan. As part of Magellan's planning team for Maricopa County, Moya has participated in extensive outreach to Maricopa County stakeholders to support proposal and program development. Areas of focus include recovery and resiliency initiatives, communication strategies & outreach; and children's system of care issues.

Before working at Magellan, Moya held teaching positions in Europe and Asia. Moya is a graduate of Cambridge University, England and also holds a master's degree in business administration in marketing & international business from the University of California Berkeley.

Steve Winderbaum, LCSW
National Director of Quality Improvement, Public Sector Solutions Division

As national quality improvement director, Steve Winderbaum oversees and coordinates all quality improvement initiatives and activities for Magellan public sector customers. Steve joined the Magellan team in 1994 and has since held positions as director of operations and quality improvement manager for two of Magellan's largest customers. Prior to his employment with Magellan, he served as assistant field office director for the nation's largest public child protective services system, the New York City Child Welfare Administration, and was a project manager and trainer for a child welfare project contracted to Cornell University's Family Life Development Center. Steve has also taught undergraduate courses in clinical social work, ethics, and social service systems. His approach to planning activities in Maricopa County has been shaped by his extensive background in child and family services, as well as his experience designing and implementing outcomes-based quality improvement programs.

Steve understands that true quality improvement and systems change occur only when programs and interventions are based on sound data findings. Similarly, he realizes that true recovery can only be demonstrated to both the consumer and the customer through the reporting of clear, meaningful outcomes data. To this end he has successfully overseen the collection, analysis and reporting of information and outcomes and its subsequent use in program and intervention development and care management. Steve also has worked extensively with regulatory compliance, monitoring and all relevant accreditation standards including URAC and NCQA. This experience has shaped his approach to discussion and planning around the design of outcomes measures in the Maricopa County RBHA.

Steve received his bachelors in sociology from the City University of New York and a master of social work from New York University. He also completed post-graduate training in the treatment and counseling of children and adolescents. He is a licensed clinical social worker. Steve currently serves on the board of directors for the Mental Health Association of Horry County, SC.