Vibrant Emotional Health Hires Wendy Martinez Farmer, LPC, MBA, as Vice President of 988 Strategy, Grants, and Clinical Standards
Media Contact: Divendra Jaffar, [email protected]
Photo: Wendy Martinez Farmer, LPC, MBA
New York, NY – April 15, 2024 – Vibrant Emotional Health (Vibrant), the administrator of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, is pleased to announce the hiring of Wendy Martinez Farmer, LPC, MBA, as the new Vice President of 988 Strategy, Grants and Clinical Standards. Wendy is a pioneering mental health advocate and has dedicated her career to breaking down barriers and fostering positive change in mental health care. In her role, Wendy will oversee Strategy and Grants Management and the Standard, Training and Practices sub-verticals within the 988 initiative. She will report directly to Dr. Tia Dole, Chief 988 Lifeline Officer at Vibrant Emotional Health.
Wendy brings over 26 years of crisis experience in the public and private sectors. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Marquette University and an MBA from Georgia Southern University.
Dr. Tia Dole, Chief 988 Lifeline Officer at Vibrant Emotional Health, expressed excitement about Wendy’s appointment, stating, “We are thrilled to welcome Wendy to the Vibrant team. Her extensive experience and leadership in crisis intervention and suicide prevention will be invaluable as we work to transform the mental health system across America. Wendy’s dedication to improving access to mental health resources aligns perfectly with our mission, and we look forward to the positive impact she will make in her new role.”
Prior to joining Vibrant, Wendy served as the leader of the Crisis Center of Excellence at Carelone Behavioral Health and as the CEO of the Georgia Collaborative ASO program, where she administered the statewide Georgia Crisis and Access Line, a 988 answer point. Before Carelon Behavioral Health, Wendy was the President and CEO of Behavioral Health Link in Atlanta, where she oversaw daily operations of the statewide line and 24/7 mobile crisis response services in 104 Georgia counties. Wendy has played a foundational role in building electronic capacity to coordinate crisis care in real-time and continued this work at Carelon, helping to launch Rapid Response Access Point services in New Hampshire, the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Helpline and the launch of a national backup center for 988 texts and chat to bolster the network as states work to take on their own volume.
As a distinguished suicide prevention leader, Wendy has made significant contributions to the field. She sat on the Standards, Training and Practices Committee for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from 2016 to 2019 and was a member of the Care Transitions Work Group with Georgia from 2020 to 2023. In January 2022, Wendy was elected to the Board of Directors for the International Council for Helplines, where she currently serves as treasurer.
Wendy has always been passionate about ensuring that individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis can get the same care that individuals with medical emergencies receive.
To learn more about Vibrant Emotional Health, visit www.vibrant.org.
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About Vibrant Emotional Health
Vibrant Emotional Health is a non-profit organization that helps individuals and families achieve emotional wellbeing. For over 50 years, our groundbreaking solutions have delivered high-quality services and support when, where and how people need it. We offer confidential emotional support through our state-of-the-art contact center and crisis hotline services that use leading-edge telephone, text and web-based technologies, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Disaster Distress Helpline, Veterans Crisis Line, and NFL Life Line. Through our community wellness programs, individuals and families obtain the support and skills they need to thrive. Our advocacy and education initiatives promote mental wellbeing as a social responsibility. We help nearly 5 million people live healthier and more vibrant lives yearly. We’re advancing access, dignity and respect for all and revolutionizing the system for good. Visit vibrant.org. Follow Vibrant on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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