Home » The 2025 OPEN MINDS Health & Human Services Workforce Best Practices Summit

The 2025 OPEN MINDS Health & Human Services Workforce Best Practices Summit


Optimize Your Talent Management Strategy

2025 Summit Agenda

9:45 am – 11:15 am ET

Employee Engagement & Retention Starts With Leadership: The Jay Nolan Community Services Case Study

The Health & Human Services Workforce Best Practices Summit

In this current chaotic business environment where providers struggle to recruit and hire top talent, employee engagement and retention are more critical than ever. The more an organization’s employees feel invested in, valued, listened to, and appreciated, the greater the buy-in, commitment, and longevity organizations see from their most valuable resource – their staff.

This is “mission critical” for leadership teams and not something that can be delegated to HR or committees as a project. When the senior leadership team of an organization takes accountability for creating an environment that people want to work in, not only will it relieve some pressure on recruiting, but the organization will also deliver higher quality services and perform better financially.

Hear from Jay Nolan Community Services, a provider for fifty years with over 700 staff and supporting over 550 individuals with autism and developmental disabilities, as they discuss their approach to making employee engagement and retention a core part of the organization’s culture and “DNA” (Develop, Nurture, Appreciate). 

Edward R. Amey, MS

Throughout his career, Edward has worked with children, teens, individuals, and families from various walks of life; as a coach, crisis counselor, social worker, therapist, teacher, adoption services supervisor, and program director.  He has been a member of several boards, as well as serving as the Executive Director of The Concordia Schools – Los Angeles, the Managing Director for The Institute for the Redesign of Learning, and now as the CEO of the Jay Nolan Family of Companies.

Edward has led multiple organizations to financial prosperity, through digital and cultural change, by focusing on the greatest assets they have, the people they support, and the people providing that support.  He is committed to helping the leaders in our communities and companies to drive lasting positive change through innovation that keeps people at the center.

Having been in executive leadership roles for nonprofits for over 20 years; Edward believes one of the fundamental ways to strengthen our communities is through purposeful efforts to provide opportunities for every member to contribute.  By providing safe, challenging, and diverse venues in which to grow, develop, and contribute we create communities that are whole and healthy.


11:30 am – 12:45 pm ET

Using The Latest Tech Trends In Your Workforce Strategic Plan

The Health & Human Services Workforce Best Practices Summit

2:15 pm – 3:45 pm ET

Building An Agile Team For Hybrid Workforces 

The Health & Human Services Workforce Best Practices Summit

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm ET

The CEO Succession Planning Panel: Industry Insights

The Health & Human Services Workforce Best Practices Summit

James H. Stewart

James (Jamie) was appointed CEO in June 2016. He joined Grafton in August 2008 as Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice-President. As a successful financial and administrative leader he has over twenty years’ progressive experience in a healthcare environment.

Rochelle Head-Dunham, M.D., DFAPA, FASAM

Dr. Head-Dunham’s academic and administrative leadership has fostered noteworthy advances in the fields of addiction and mental health. She has served as a subject matter expert on various national and state platforms informing best practices for the field of behavioral health. Her clinical accolades include Clinical Faculty of the Year for the 2021 academic year at LSU School of Medicine. In 2019 she was the recipient of the Nyswander/Dole Award from the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, INC. (AATOD). Her clinical acumen coupled with her transformative leadership style has shaped an administrative career that fosters enduring changes for systems, organizations and individual levels of performance. Dr. Rochelle Head-Dunham is a New Orleans native who currently serves as the Executive Director and Medical Director for Metropolitan Human Services District (MHSD), a state local governing entity tasked with service delivery for indigent and Medicaid ensured persons living with mental illness, substance use disorders and intellectual/developmental disabilities, residing in New Orleans and neighboring parishes.