Our Team

Our Staff

Meet the incredible people working day in and day out to improve youth mental health in Colorado.

Meet the Staff

Youth Council

Colorado youth brought together to advise PCMH as we craft key initiatives related to youth mental health.

Youth Council

Our Staff

Bruno Anthony PhD Clinical Director pcmh
Evaluation Director

Bruno Anthony, PhD

In addition to his work with PCMH, Bruno is also a clinical psychologist, professor and Chief of Psychology for the Pediatric Mental Health Institute at Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Building on a 5-year NIH Career Development Award in mental health services research, he has focused his research and clinical work on developing family-focused and systemic approaches to identify and help children with behavioral/ developmental challenges and their families within primary care and school settings, including increasing access to quality services for minority populations.
Trainer Haley Bierk M.ED.
Trainer

Haley Bierk, M.Ed.

Haley joined the PCMH team after 4 years of being a school counselor. She has experience working with students at each K-12 grade level. Haley has a passion for supporting military families, students with disabilities, and helping families and school districts navigate mental health needs of youth. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon and her master's degree in Counselor Education from Augusta University. Outside of work, Haley is soaking up time with two little boys, husband, and husky.
Trainer

Sherry Burkhard, BSN, RN

Sherry (she/her) serves as a trainer for PCMH. Sherry holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from TCU. She is a licensed registered nurse and has worked in multiple psychiatric settings and levels of mental health care. Sherry previously co-founded and served as the executive director of a Texas nonprofit focused on helping community members navigate resources and education for mental health and addiction recovery. Sherry is passionate about improving experiences and outcomes for youth and families facing a mental health issue. When Sherry is not working, she is hiking, curling up with a good book, writing, and spending time with her partner and their two young adult children.
Program Manager

Stephanie De Jesus Ayala, MS

Stephanie is a first-generation graduate with her master's in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Chestnut hill College in Philadelphia, PA. Stephanie is passionate about increasing access to quality mental health care for racially minoritized youth and families. She has worked in mental health field in various levels of care providing therapeutic services for children, teens, and families. When she is not working, Stephanie can be found hiking or bouldering with her partner, lounging with her pets, or cooking for friends and family.
Program Manager

Natalie Hazemi

Natalie (she/her) serves as the Program Manager for PCMH. Natalie holds a Bachelor's of Science in Biology with a minor in Biomedical Sciences from Colorado State University . In addition, she is a graduate from University of Colorado with her MBA in Healthcare Administration. She received the Director's Award in 2019 for demonstrating strong academic performance and professional promise. She has worked in mental health for many years and is passionate about finding solutions for adolescents' with mental health concerns before they develop a mental health crisis. If you can't find Natalie in the office, you will find her hiking with her black labrador, rafting, skiing, or traveling.
Executive Director

Michele Lueck

Michele Lueck is the executive director at Partners for Children’s Mental Health (PCMH). Michele is responsible for PCMH’s overall strategy and efforts to bring evidence-based programs and services to kids throughout Colorado. As part of her role at PCMH, Michele serves as a Senior Clinical Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Michele previously served as the President and CEO of the Colorado Health Institute (CHI), where she led a decade of expansion — growing CHI from a $1.5M to a $6M organization. In 2020, she was named Denver Business Journal Most Admired CEO.

Michele currently chairs the Board of Trustees of Adams State University. Serving her second term, she was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper and reappointed by Governor Polis. Michele earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard and a master’s degree from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Evaluator

Lauren McCarthy, PhD

Lauren (she/her) is a member of the PCMH Evaluation Team. Lauren received her doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Social Work, where she completed her dissertation on pathways to residential treatment for child welfare involved youth using a developmental lens. Prior to her PhD, Lauren enjoyed a clinical career providing in-home family therapy to youth in Philadelphia. In addition to her role with PCMH, Lauren is the Director of Behavioral Health at the CARE Network within the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect. Outside of work, Lauren enjoys running, skiing, and exploring the Rocky Mountains.
Physician Consultant

Brian Pitts, MD, FAAP

Brian is a board-certified pediatrician and board-eligible adolescent medicine specialist. He is enthusiastic about the work at PCMH and joined to lend a physician voice to the team. Brian completed his pediatrics training at the University of North Carolina and his adolescent medicine fellowship at the University of Colorado. During training, he focused his scholarly activities on mental health screening quality improvement. In addition to working with PCMH, he serves the Lakewood community as a primary care pediatrician with Rocky Mountain Pediatrics, PC.
Lia Thompson, Evaluator
Evaluator

Lia Thompson, MPH

Lia is a member of the PCMH Evaluation Team. Lia completed a Bachelor of Arts in Health Sciences at Furman University, and a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology at the University of Colorado. While completing her master’s degree, Lia worked on several research behavioral health research projects and learned that she particularly loved research at the intersection of public health and mental health. Outside of work, Lia enjoys pottery, reading, and hiking.

Our Partners

Child Welfare Specialists pcmh

Child Welfare Specialists

Community Stakeholders pcmh

Community Stakeholders

Advocacy Organizations pcmh

Advocacy Organizations

Educators pcmh

Educators

youth pcmh

Youth

Caregivers pcmh

Caregivers

Juvenile Justice Specialists pcmh

Juvenile Justice Specialists

Primary Care Providers pcmh

Primary Care Providers

Mental Health Providers pcmh

Mental Health Providers

Mental wellness in schools
mental wellness
children playing
Happy donors

Help Us Create Change

If you’re fighting for better mental health for Colorado, we want to work with you.