NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following a 15-year tenure as president and CEO, Linda Rosenberg said today she will be leaving the National Council for Behavioral Health in August 2019. She made the announcement during an address to National Council members attending NatCon18, the organization’s annual conference.

Rosenberg led the association during a period of extensive growth and rebranding. Under her leadership the National Council has become a powerful policy and advocacy voice for behavioral health, helping secure passage of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, expanding integrated behavioral and primary care services and leading the support for the Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Excellence Act resulting in a network of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.

During Rosenberg’s tenure, the National Council became a highly valued provider of technical assistance, driving organizational, clinical and workforce improvements. Membership tripled to more than 2,900 organizations; NatCon, the National Council’s annual conference, grew fourfold, becoming behavioral health’s premier conference; and Mental Health First Aid was introduced in the U.S.

“Linda Rosenberg has taken the National Council to unimagined heights,” said Jeff Richardson, National Council Board chair. “She helped propel behavioral health to the forefront of the health care agenda and introduced a number of initiatives that improved our members’ ability to provide quality, accessible mental health and addictions services. Her visionary leadership sets the tone for the Council going forward.”

“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve the National Council,” Rosenberg said. “I leave behind member organizations devoted to the health of their communities and an extraordinary staff. Together we have accomplished many things, and I’m deeply proud of the progress we’ve made. Now it’s time for the next leader to take the National Council to new heights,” Rosenberg continued.

“I’m leaving but my passion for improving the lives of those affected by mental and addictive disorders hasn’t dimmed. I look forward to new opportunities to contribute. I’ve been an activist my entire life — and that won’t stop anytime soon.”

The National Council Board of Directors has engaged Korn Ferry, an executive recruitment firm, to conduct a nationwide search that will begin in September 2018.

The National Council for Behavioral Health is the unifying voice of America’s health care organizations that deliver mental health and addictions treatment and services. Together with our 2,900 member organizations serving over 10 million adults, children and families living with mental illnesses and addictions, the National Council is committed to all Americans having access to comprehensive, high-quality care that affords every opportunity for recovery. The National Council introduced Mental Health First Aid USA and more than 1 million Americans have been trained.