ACORN

Nirmala Dhar is a licensed clinical social worker with a Master’s in Social Work from the Brown School of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri and Bombay University, India.   She has 36 years of experience in behavioral health in the public sector in Missouri, New Jersey, and Oregon. She is a senior policy analyst and the Older Adult Behavioral Health Services Coordinator for Oregon Health Authority‘s Health Systems Division.  In this role, she is the Project Director for the Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative and PASRR Level II (SMI) Coordinator.  Prior to this position Nirmala worked for Clackamas County Behavioral Health for 18 years.  This included 10 years as the geriatric mental health specialist for the County. She brings her strong social work and faith values to her work, which is animated by anti-oppressive practice and the dignity and respect for all we serve. Her career has been focused on the values of social justice and equity with a passionate focus on disability justice for as it pertains to individuals with serious mental illness and all its intersections. Her current equity interests extend to serving individuals with complex care needs, promoting cross sector collaboration, and challenging silos to genuinely improve the lives of individuals with complex needs, and those who are most challenged and marginalized as an equity imperative.