Dr. Eric Arzubi
Dr. Eric Arzubi co-founded Frontier Psychiatry in 2019 to introduce an accelerated, more aggressive response to Montana’s growing mental health crisis. He served as Chair of Psychiatry at the Billings Clinic from 2014 to 2019, during which time he led the creation of Montana’s first psychiatry residency training program and the launch of Montana’s first EmPATH Unit, a service dedicated to providing timely care to individuals in crisis. In 2020, the Montana Medical Association presented Dr. Arzubi with one of its top physician awards, the Doctor Jack McMahon Service to Montana Physicians Award, for his contributions. Dr. Arzubi is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Yale Child Study Center. He has proudly served as President of the Big Sky Regional Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and as a board member of the School-Based Health Alliance. Dr. Arzubi is board certified in general psychiatry and child/adolescent psychiatry.
Lindsay Benes
Dr. Benes is faculty at Montana State University’s College of Nursing, located on the Missoula Campus. Her research and clinical work has focused on care innovations for people with opioid use disorder. Specifically health system changes for people on long-term, high dose opioids; nurse-led medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) for a non-treatment seeking population; and syringe service program-based MOUD for people who are unhoused and using drugs. She is currently working with a team of nurses, pharmacists, and community health supports to make MOUD more accessible and acceptable for people experiencing perinatal opioid use disorder.
Jacey Crowley
Jacy Crowley, MSN, RN, brings nearly two decades of nursing experience to her work in maternal and child health. Throughout her 19-year career, she has dedicated herself to advancing health equity and improving birth outcomes for Indigenous women. As a passionate advocate for culturally-responsive healthcare, Jacy works to bridge traditional Indigenous birthing practices with contemporary prenatal care models. Most recently, she has been leading the development of an innovative prenatal program at Rocky Boy Health Center, where she collaboratively works with Tribal Elders to ensure their sacred knowledge and teachings form the foundation of maternal care.
Deanna Diulio, CNM, WHNP
Deanna Diulio, CNM, WHNP, us a graduate of Georgetown University. Diulio is a dual board certified in Women’s Health and Midwifery and has spent the past 8 years practicing as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM). Diulio spent 5 years in southeastern Washington, in private practice, where she built a Midwifery practice from the ground up. She then transitioned to a large group practice, serving Seattle and the surrounding area. Most recently, Diulio moved to Wolf Point, Montana to focus on providing care to rural and indigenous populations. Prior to her time as an Advance Practice Provider, Diulio was a Registered Nurse providing care to high-risk Obstetrical patients.
Diulio’s time spent as a Registered Nurse was where she recognized her desire to improve the quality of care that women received during their lifespan. She entered the WHNP/CNM program at Georgetown focused on providing holistic care to women. As she developed her private practice, Diulio noticed the need for providers with increased knowledge of mental health care, particularly through the peripartum time period. Diulio joined the American Psychiatric Nurses Association in 2019 to expand her knowledge of providing care to women suffering from Perinatal Mood Disorders. In the past, Diulio worked closely with the providers at the Washington State Partnership Access Line (PAL) and PAL for Moms program to improve access to mental health care for patients.
Kathy Gere, LCSW
Kathy Gere, LCSW, has over 20 years of experience providing therapy to individuals, youth, and families. Ms. Gere graduated from the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, with a master’s of social work degree. Her undergraduate degree is in psychology from Pacific Lutheran University. Currently, Ms. Gere is attending Walla Walla University as a doctoral student. She is trained in multiple forms of trauma treatment, including Trauma in Formed Care, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP). Ms. Gere has served as a clinical supervisor for community service programs that provide intensive outpatient treatment for youth and their families. Ms. Gere has counseled military service members and their families, who often experience significant occupational stress. Ms. Gere is the clinical director of a private practice in Billings, MT. The most important factor that motivates Ms. Gere is the desire to stop or prevent the intergenerational transmission of trauma.
Christina Hayes
Christina Hayes is the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ Safe School Center's Training and Technical Assistance Specialist. She earned a BA in Human Biological Sciences, BS in Business Administration and Master’s in Health Administration. She brings to the center a wealth of experience including almost a decade of Emergency Management, ten years of Behavioral Health and five years of experience working directly with schools.
Tracy Hellem, Phd, RN
Dr. Hellem is a researcher and educator specializing in women’s mental health, with a focus on improving access to evidence-based care for perinatal opioid use disorder (POUD). She has over eight years of experience conducting intervention research related to mental health and substance use, particularly among women with depression and women who use methamphetamine. Currently, Dr. Hellem works on a collaborative initiative bringing together certified nurse midwives (CNMs), community-based pharmacists (CBPs), and community health supports (CHS) to increase access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in perinatal populations. Her work aims to bridge critical gaps in care by integrating multidisciplinary, community-driven approaches to support pregnant and postpartum individuals in Montana and beyond. Dr. Hellem has been awarded funding to advance this work, using qualitative and implementation science methods to identify best practices for engaging and retaining women in MOUD. She is passionate about translating research into real-world solutions that enhance maternal mental health outcomes.
Lanita Hoskinson
Lanita Hoskinson works for One Health’s Connection Center as a Certified Peer Support Specialist, Recovery Doula, and care coordinator serving Blaine County, MT. She currently provides Native American Fatherhood & Families Association’s Fatherhood is Sacred®, Motherhood is Sacred Training and Addressing Family Violence and Abuse Training. She is specialized in providing emotional, informational, instrumental, and affiliation support for people. She brings in her own personal knowledge to meet people where they are and support others to progress towards recovery and enhance the quality of personal and family life in long-term recovery—making her role as a recovery doula and care coordinator unique. She can help identify, through personal lived experience, with families struggling with substance use disorder or mental health disorders and navigate the perinatal journey and healthcare systems by providing information support to birthing people.
Dr. Swathi Krishna
Dr. Swathi Krishna is dual board-certified in general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Krishna works with children, adolescents, and families and her treatment modalities include medication management, holistic treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness. Dr. Krishna collaborates with patients to create attainable goals and treatment plans that incorporate both the mind and body. Swathi completed her general psychiatry residency at Morehouse School of Medicine and her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Emory School of Medicine. She is also an alumnus Minority Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and has worked on special projects for mental health innovation through the APA and Stanford University. She is currently serving as the Director of Child and Adolescent Services for Frontier Psychiatry and the Primary Psychiatrist for the MT-PAL Child Consultation Line.
Kqyn Kuka
Kqyn Kuka was hired as a field game warden in 2007, at the time there was only two female game wardens within the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks department. As a result, she understands the dynamics of gender equality, being inclusive, and diversity. She empowers women by teaching conflict resolution through understanding prejudices and the common resistance to change when working in predominately male fields. After 12 years with the department Kqyn Kuka became the first female sergeant ever in the state of Montana. She currently is our Tribal Liaison and Diversity coordinator, the first to hold this position as well. Kqyn brings a unique perspective to the professional associations between agencies. She deals closely with the Montana tribal governments to facilitate the working relationship between the tribes and the state of Montana.
The opportunity to have the Tribe’s voices heard at the same table as the state government is both meaningful and historic for the state and tribal governments. Working with colleagues from the Tribes and the state has further opened Kqyn’s mind and heart to managing our natural resources. Kqyn continues to advocate and ally for our Tribal nations and diverse population as we face challenges and she will help spread knowledge of Montana’s Indian people.
Anna McDougal, RDN, LN
Anna McDougal is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a Master of Science degree in Dietetic Systems Leadership. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Nutrition and Foods with an emphasis in dietetics from West Virginia University and completed her Master’s and dietetic internship through Montana State University. Anna has a strong passion for helping others fi nd food freedom and create a positive relationship with food and body image. Empathy, compassion, and respect are values Anna holds close in her practice.
Callie Parr
Callie Parr is a dedicated board member and volunteer with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). A generational descendant of the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe of Montana, Callie brings a unique perspective to her advocacy, drawing on her cultural heritage and deep connection to her community.
Her passion for suicide prevention stems from a deeply personal loss—her boyfriend and childhood friend died by suicide in 2017. This life-altering event inspired Callie to dedicate herself to raising awareness, fostering hope, and advocating for suicide prevention efforts.
Although Callie currently serves as the Early Childhood Tribal Coordinator for Zero to Five Montana, she is here wearing her AFSP hat, focused on her commitment to suicide prevention. Through her work with AFSP, she strives to amplify voices, break the stigma surrounding mental health, and provide resources for those affected by suicide.
In her personal life, Callie values time with her three children, her spouse, Chris, and their beloved puppy and kitty. Her compassion and determination fuel her commitment to creating a world where no one feels alone in their struggles.
Kristen Pyke-Pierce, PhD
Kristen Pyke-Pierce, PhD, is Mohawk from New York State. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who has over 5 years of experience working with various Native American communities across the United States. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ where she specialized in working with Native American communities in research and clinical practice. She currently works as a youth psychologist for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Tribal Behavioral Health and CSKT Tribal Education. Dr. Pyke-Pierce works with Native American youth to address the unique challenges that they face, including intergenerational trauma and identity development, while utilizing a culturally responsive approach to her practice.
Tracy Rassley
Tracy Rassley is the Programs Manager for the Montana and Wyoming Chapters of the
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). After twenty-four years as a paralegal and
volunteering with the American Foundation for position for Prevention for almost seven years
she has now been in her current position over two years. She has presented countless trainings
for AFSP that include Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention, Finding Hope,
It’s Real: Teens and Mental Health, and It’s Real: College Students and Mental Health. In
addition, she is a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer.
While Tracy strives to provide education and awareness to as many individuals as possible in
whatever setting is available, her passion for education is particularly strong for teens and
college Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ as she believes that the change in attitude we need regarding mental health will
come from our youth.
Tracy is a loss survivor through the loss of her 19-year-old son, Patrick, in 2015. She is dedicated
to helping others and is a certified support group facilitator and has facilitated a Parents of
Suicide Support Group since 2017.
Kassie Runsabove
Kassie Rusnabove is Aaniiih and Cree and lives in Billings Montana with her family. Kassie is an account manager with Mountain Pacific Quality Health. Kassie recently earned her Certificate of Public Health for American Indian Health Professionals from Johns Hopkins University. She has her Health Promotion Degree from MSU Billings. Kassie has over 16 years of experience in healthcare ranging from health promotion, case management, spiritual care, philanthropy, and quality. Kassie strives to educate patients and providers to obtain the best health outcomes.
Barbara Schott, MSW
Barbs Schott is a graduate of the Masters of Social program at the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ in Missoula. Her career includes working as a Clinical Case Manager for over 200 clients in Western Montana, in the HIV treatment and prevention program at Partnership Health Center. From there, she went on to run a 5-county HIV treatment and prevention program in Northern California at the Plumas County Public Health Department. In that role, she also assisted in creating and implementing a mobile Syringe Service Program for the rural region and on other Opioid Use Disorder and Harm Reduction initiatives. From that experience, Barbs came back to Montana to work as the Tribal Opioid Response Project Director for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes where she implemented evidenced-based community initiatives aimed at treating and preventing Opioid Use Disorders. Barbs now works at the Montana Primary Care Association where she helps provide training and technical assistance to clinicians working in Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorders, specifically focusing on integrating the care into primary health.
Dr. Megan Verlage, MD
Dr. Verlage is a Board Certified in General Adult Psychiatrist. After finishing her undergraduate education at Harvard University and medical school training at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, she completed her residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. During residency she completed the Women's Mental Health track which included specialized training for women during the reproductive lifespan. After residency she continued with UT Southwestern Medical Center as an Assistant Professor and worked as an emergency psychiatrist at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Currently she works as an Adult psychiatrist at Frontier Psychiatry, along with running her own private practice in Columbus, OH.