Concordance Names Julie Russell as EVP, Head of Behavioral Health & Wellness

ST. LOUIS, MO — Concordance, a CARF accredited, non-profit re-entry program headquartered in St. Louis, announced today that Julie Russell, MSW, LCSW has joined Concordance as EVP, Head of Behavioral Health & Wellness. She will report to President & CEO Danny Ludeman.

At Concordance, Ms. Russell will be responsible for leading the Behavioral Health & Wellness team, comprised of therapists who provide assessment, interdisciplinary treatment planning, and individual and group therapy using evidence-informed interventions as part of the Concordance Re-Entry Model. As a member of the executive leadership team, Ms. Russell will ensure fidelity to the model and assist with the development and execution of the strategy as Concordance expands nationally.

“The visionary leadership and focus on impact at Concordance is incredibly inspiring,” said Ms. Russell. “I hope to advance the Concordance mission and help transform lives within our community. I want to leverage my expertise to help make Concordance the beacon and model for the rest of our country in breaking the cycle of incarceration and supporting the justice-involved population. What we have here is special and I am excited to see the ripple effect, not just in St. Louis, but as we expand across the country.”

Ms. Russell joins Concordance from Leap Ambassadors, a national community dedicated to high performance and impact in the social sector. As Executive Director, Ms. Russell was responsible for the oversight of day-to-day programming and development, strategic organizational direction, and growing and engaging a diverse community of thought leaders.

“Julie is an accomplished executive and clinician with a deep knowledge of the landscape we operate in,” said Ludeman. “She will play a key role in our national expansion and work closely with me and the executive team to advance the Concordance mission while helping to scale our re-entry model to cities across the United States.  As an integral member of our Board of Directors, I am humbled that Julie has increased her commitment to our organization by joining our leadership team.”

Prior to joining the Leap Ambassadors team, Ms. Russell served as Chief Impact Officer of the United Way of Greater St. Louis where she oversaw all aspects of programming and evaluation. To her new role within Concordance, Ms. Russell brings over 25 years of experience in the sector. As a licensed clinical social worker, she possesses a unique combination of direct service experience as a behavioral health therapist, as well as leadership experience focused on strategy development, program and system design, outcomes measurement, and performance improvement.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, Ms. Russell earned her master’s degree in social work from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, concentrating in Mental Health and specializing in Family Therapy. Ms. Russell has stepped down from her role as a member of the Concordance Board of Directors to take on this role within the organization.

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