About Neal Mazer, MD, MPH 

Higher Education:

Professional Employment:

Administrative/ Management Experience:

2004 – present – Private Practice, Santa Barbara, California

I started a private practice near the end of 2004.  My practice is full time with well over 50 patient hours a week; the focus being adolescent medical psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and substance abuse.  I also treat children with Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, and severe emotional problems. My practice also includes patients with Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder and addictions. 

2002- 2006 - Chairman of the Board and CEO, Alisos Insitute

I established a non-profit organization dedicated to strengths-based approaches in assessments, evaluation and training regarding critical and emotional skills.  Our initiatives include:  Regroove – our assessment and training tools; Psychological Readiness – helping children and adults prepare for and deal with the emotional trauma brought on by terrorism and other forms of violence and abuse; and Community Heroes Project – a collection of heros from the community, professional sports, entertainment, music, etc.,, that children can be matched to based on similar characteristics, backgrounds and skills. 

1999-2002 - President and Founder:  Regroove, Inc.

In partnership with leaders in education, software development, computer game development, information security  and business management, I have set up a company creating a real-time, computer-based assessment of social and emotional skills for children and youth.  This assessment will define learning styles, strengths and interests, core barriers, and cultural orientation, and then use realistic and culturally relevant scenarios to assess social and emotional skills.  Teachers and parents, as well as the youths themselves, will be provided relevant information that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of interventions, guide global classroom management, and suggest strategies for support that are tailored to the needs and interests of the youth.

1995-1999 - System of Care Program Development Specialist, Multiagency Integrated System of Care (MISC), Santa Barbara County, CA

Utilizing a $15 million federal grant, Santa Barbara County implemented the Multi-Agency Integrated System of Care (MISC) to fully integrate public and private agency children’s services for 1350 children and youth with severe emotional and behavioral problems.  I was responsible for program development and training, and oversaw the development of community-based services that included Universal Family Service Plans, individualized Wrap Around services, therapeutic foster and group homes, early intervention programs, and vocational rehabilitation services.  I was responsible for the training of MISC staff, and created and implemented an intensive 6 day training curriculum for over 200 staff from the public child-serving agencies (Probation; Child Welfare; Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health; Public Health; Education), the 5 non-profit partner agencies, families, and private therapists in the community.  In addition, I reviewed the skills of all staff regarding the implementation of individualized service plans that address needs in multiple life domains and the appropriate utilization of community-based services, and created both individualized and group training programs to support the development of necessary skills and core competencies.

1991-1994 - Chief, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, State of Hawaii Department of Health

I was recruited by the Director of Health to be a change agent, in a Division that had had seven Chiefs in a 5 year period.  The Director charged me with the mission of developing and implementing a new vision for children’s mental health, as well as expanding its funding base.  The outcome was significantly expanded and improved services for Hawaii’s children and youth with severe emotional difficulties.  

As Chief of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, I oversaw all children’s mental health services for the State of Hawaii.  Using a budget that exceeded $28 million in the FY94-95, I was responsible for the delivery of services to children and adolescents statewide, through:  9 regional Children’s Teams located throughout the State and composed of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and care coordinators; a children’s hospital unit; day treatment programs; and services contracted from private purchase-of-service providers.  During my 3 year tenure, I initiated individualized WrapAround services, developed care coordination, significantly expanded therapeutic group and foster home programs statewide, initiated 24-hour crisis intervention teams, developed an intensive community and experientially-based residential treatment program, opened a 32-bed residential treatment program, co-founded a statewide family preservation program involving all five child-serving State agencies, initiated third-party reimbursement from Medicaid, developed and began the implementation of a Medicaid carve-out for SED youth, and initiated development of a Title IV-A  reimbursement plan.  Through strong support from the community, the CAMHD budget increased over 100% during my tenure, during a period of significant budgetary reductions and restrictions for most other State programs.  In addition, in 1994 CAMHD was awarded an $18.3 million, 5-year federal grant from the Center for Mental Health Services to fund the implementation of a community-based system emphasizing natural caregivers in the delivery of culturally-appropriate mental health services, in a region with ethnic and cultural groups that typically do not access traditional mental health services.

1984-1986        Deputy Director, Marimed Foundation

As a cofounder of Marimed, we started from “ground zero” to develop  a non-profit organization dedicated to providing health care to medically under-served people in Micronesia and the Central Pacific.  I wrote grant applications, initiated programs, created development strategies, and traveled throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, making presentations and soliciting development funds from private foundations, corporations, and individuals.

1983-1984        Program Officer and Consultant, Hawaiian Trust Co./ Hawaii Community Foundation

I evaluated grant requests as well as administered and monitored grants.  In addition, I was a liaison with foundation Trustees and key members of the community, working to move the foundation from control by a single trust company into an effective, multi-trustee organization.  I worked with national experts regarding community foundations, helped develop a business and expansion strategy, and created specialized marketing materials.

Community Involvement:

Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health Trustee, 1998-present

United Advocates for the Children of California Trustee, 2000-present

Lisa Ferguson Foundation, Ventura, California Trustee, 1991-present

George Straub Medical Research Foundation, Honolulu Trustee, 1987-1995

Special Awards and Fellowships:

2000 MIT Fellowship:  Mass. Institute of Technology Center for Reflective Community Practice

1995 Family Advocacy Award, Mental Health Association of Hawaii

1989 American Medical Association/ Burroughs Welcome Co. Leadership Fellowship

Professional Organizations and Memberships:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists

American Public Health Association

Selected Presentations:

June 2002 – Coalitions for Youth Violence Prevention Second National Grantee Meeting

June 2002 – AACAP/CWLA Fourth Conference on Foster Care and Mental Health

May 2002 – The New Mexico Children’s Mental Health Summit

May 2002 – Riverside County Children and Families Commission Evaluation Workshop

March 2002 – Youth Violence Prevention Cooperative Agreements Grantee Meeting

February 2002 – Incredible Journey Into the Brain Conference

January 2002 – AACAP/CWLA Third Conference on Foster Care and Mental Health

October 2001 – The Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program

February 2000 – California Institute for Mental Health, Children’s System of Care Gathering

April 1999 – Focus on Practice: Committee on Improving Practice Meeting

March 1999 – Advisory Meeting for the State Police Academy on Developing Systems

of care for Children with, or at Risk for, Emotional Disorders and their Families

February 1999 – National Peer Technical Assistance Network Meeting

February 1999 – Review Committee: Wraparound Standards and Training Criteria

January 1999 – The International Symposium and Children’s Mental Health – Using a

System of Care Approach

September 1998 – Front-line Practices in Urban Neighborhoods

July 1998 – Third Strategic Planning Retreat for the Comprehensive Community Health

Services for Children and their Families Program

July 1998 – National Peer Technical Assistance Network Mental Health Partnership Meeting

July 1998 – Opening the Doors: Children’s Interagency System of care – Development in a Managed Care Environment December Santa Barbara System of care: An Overhead Presentation

March 1996 – Making Collaboration Work for Children, Youth, Families, Schools and

Communities: A National Invitation Conference

November 1995 – Who Will Hear My Cry: Developing a System of Care to Meet the

Mental Health Needs of Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers and their Families