About Us
Our Mission
Emerald City Behavioral Health delivers care that meets people where they are and helps them get to where they want to be. We remove barriers that stand in the way of treatment, ensure continuity across every level of care, and hold ourselves accountable to outcomes that matter. Guided by dignity, equity, integrity, accountability, and community, we provide services that restore hope and strengthen entire communities.
Our Values
Be BRAVE! Our values in care:
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Balance: We provide care that keeps people steady across every stage of recovery.
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Respect: Every person is met with dignity, compassion, and fairness.
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Accountability: We deliver on our promises and measure ourselves by real outcomes.
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Voice: We stand up at every table to advocate for those who need us most.
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Equity: We break down barriers, so care is accessible to all.
Leadership Team
Claudia Johnson, RN, MHP
Chief Executive Officer
Founder of ECBH, psychiatric nurse, and mental health practitioner. Claudia provides executive leadership focused on growth, expansion, and financial stewardship. Her leadership has secured multimillion-dollar grants to expand behavioral health care across Washington.
Michael Clarke, MA, LMHCA, SUDP, MHP
Chief Operating Officer
Behavioral health executive, licensed mental health practitioner, and reform advocate with deep experience in Medicaid policy, systems change, and direct clinical care. Leads strategic growth and vision, compliance, and innovation across all ECBH programs statewide.
Kimmy Lake, BS, SUDP
Director of IRT
Substance Use Disorder Professional with extensive experience in treatment and clinical supervision. Kimmy directs operations at ECBH’s Tacoma clinic and leads a multidisciplinary team providing integrated behavioral health care.
Michelle Morgan
Director of Billing and Compliance
Behavioral health professional and certified peer counselor who brings first-hand knowledge of clinical delivery to support every role across ECBH. Michelle oversees billing protocols, claim submissions, and intake processes, while serving as the mediator between ECBH and insurance companies as well as community partners. Acting as the hub for administrative support, she ensures staff have what they need to provide seamless care while maintaining compliance with state and federal requirements.
Cybil Ahmer, SUDP
Spokane IRT Clinic Director
Substance Use Disorder Professional with a background in co-occurring treatment and clinical leadership. Cybil oversees Spokane operations and leads a team dedicated to integrated, person-centered care.
Tacoma Clinical Team
Dr. Abebe Belete
Psychiatrist
Provides holistic psychiatric care that integrates therapy and medication management for individuals with severe mental illness.
Paula Hall, RN, MHP
Psychiatric Nurse
Delivers nursing support and mental health practitioner services, bridging medical and therapeutic care.
Michael Cochran, SUDP, Peer Counselor
SUD Supervisor & Clinician
Leads substance use treatment programming, supervises the Tacoma SUD team, and offers peer-based support to strengthen recovery.
Sandy Stoops, BA
Peer Counselor & Agency Affiliated Counselor
Brings lived experience and counseling skills to help patients engage in recovery.
Darnell Gilliam, SUDP-T
SUD Clinician
Delivers individual and group counseling focused on co-occurring substance use disorders.
Spokane Clinical Team
Alice Mukunjuro, MHNP-BC
Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Provides therapy and medication management with a holistic approach to psychiatric care.
Wendy Clarke, RN, MHP
Psychiatric Nurse
Registered Nurse and Mental Health Practitioner who supports psychiatric services and coordinates care across disciplines.
Sara Smith-Cline, SUDP
SUD Supervisor & Clinician
Substance Use Disorder Professional who guides treatment programming and supervises the Spokane SUD team.
Angela Roullier
Peer Counselor & Agency Affiliated Counselor
Provides peer-based support and counseling to strengthen patient recovery.
Kristen Bailey
Office Manager
Manages day-to-day operations and patient services at the Spokane clinic.
Who We Partner With
Stakeholders & Partnerships
Emerald City Behavioral Health works in close collaboration with:
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Managed Care Organizations (MCOs): Coordinating coverage and referrals for Medicaid/Apple Health members.
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Therapeutic Courts: Contracted preferred provider for DUI, Drug, and Veterans Courts.
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Counties & State Agencies: Partnering with the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), DSHS, and ALTSA to deliver licensed, compliant services.
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Healthcare Systems & Providers: Ensuring smooth transitions of care from hospitals, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and long-term care homes.
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Investors & Development Partners: Supporting the expansion of new behavioral health facilities across Washington.
Opportunities
We welcome collaboration with stakeholders who share our mission of expanding access to behavioral healthcare. Current partnership opportunities include:
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Co-Development: Launching new behavioral health facilities to address critical service gaps.
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Service Stand-Ups: Partnering with counties to build and staff new treatment programs.
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Contracts: Establishing structured agreements with courts, MCOs, and healthcare systems.
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Investment: Collaborating with developers and investors on long-term behavioral health infrastructure projects.
Outcomes & Compliance Credentials
Emerald City Behavioral Health specializes in stabilizing severe mental illness through a wrap-around, co-occurring approach. All services are:
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Licensed & Monitored: By WA DOH and DSHS for safety and compliance.
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Measured & Accountable: Tracking outcomes such as:
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Diversion from psychiatric hospitalization
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Stabilization of long-term placements
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Medication adherence rates
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Completion rates for therapeutic court programs
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Standards-Aligned: Maintaining HIPAA compliance, accessibility (ADA/WCAG), and quality benchmarks set by state and federal regulators.