Doreen M. Mills, Ph.D.

Doreen Mills is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Consumer Advocate Network for Mental Wellness, Inc.  She has several years teaching experience including at the college level and worked on staff at Life Care Counseling Center as a pastoral counselor.  Dr. Mills also serves as a B.R.I.D.G.E.S. coordinator, peer review supervisor, Olmstead director, and peer advocate director.  Dr. Mills is a Certified Peer Support Specialist, and has her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Studies. Doreen has 2 adult children, a son and a daughter, and is the very proud grandmother of 7 grandchildren.  She loves spending time with her family, pets and the people she works with.  Teaching about mental illness is her passion and her hearts work.   

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Renee Brusie, CPSS, KPS

Renee Brusie is the Associate Director of the Kentucky Consumer Advocate Network for Mental Wellness, Inc.  She worked as an Executive Assistant for Prudential Securities before coming to KYCAN, first as a volunteer, then a paid staff person.  She is a Certified Peer Support Specialist, and has experience as a community mental health service provider.  She teaches classes, leads support groups and does advocacy work at KYCAN.  She has served as Treasurer for the KY PAIMI Council and participates in the Depression and Bi-Polar Alliance's speakers' bureau.. Renee is married and has an adult son.  She enjoys walking, spending time with her family, and dog Wolfie.  Renee has made it her life's purpose to help others dealing with mental health issues.  

Shane Barmore

Shane Barmore is the Resource Coordinator for the Kentucky Consumer Advocate Network for Mental Wellness, Inc.  Shane joined KYCAN in the fall of 2008 and came with experience in contacting prospective donors for contributions to charitable organizations and maintaining relationships with donor bases.  He understands consumer and family member issues, and works extensively providing resources to consumers, family members, and the KYCAN staff and volunteers.  Shane attends a variety of meetings on behalf of KYCAN and his main focus is currently on keeping the KYCAN membership list up to date and preparing for the Annual Consumer Conference.  In his spare time, Shane enjoys bass fishing and Kentucky basketball and football.

Debi Smith, BA

Debi Smith is the Program Manager for the Kentucky Consumer Advocate Network for Mental Wellness, Inc. She has experience working with children and families through her 10 plus years of work for Brooklawn Child & Family Services.  Debi has also volunteered with children through the YMCA of Honolulu and various churches.  Debi continues to do volunteer work at Brooklawn and likes to be creative by writing, scrapbooking, making jewelry, and making soap.  She also enjoys martial arts when she has the time.

Sarah Welch

Sarah Welch is the Conference Coordinator for the Kentucky Consumer Advocate Network for Mental Wellness, Inc.  A gifted High School graduate, from the time she was 9 years old she has worked with the general and the not-so-general public, and eventually plans to attend college to become a pharmacist. Along with an insatiable desire to help people, she has previously worked in a church setting, and in a Christian Bookstore. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, playing music, and visiting with friends and family. Sarah loves working with people and finding a way to make a positive impact, no matter how small, on someone else’s life.

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Doug Crowdus, KPS

Doug Crowdus has worked at KYCAN since February 2003.  Since coming to KYCAN he has worked as a BRIDGES facilitator and a Peer Advocate.  Today, Doug is the Marketing Coordinator of KYCAN and a certified Kentucky Peer Specialist.  Right now, he is doing Peer Specialist work at Our Lady of Peace Hospital.  Doug has also started the MAD 2000 (www.mad2000.org) Program where he does speaking engagements at local high schools on substance abuse.  He has a business website called YOU (www.bestyou.us) for consumers to sell positive resources, including upcoming arts and crafts on the internet to raise money for KYCAN.  Doug is presently teaching an Entrepreneurship Class for Junior Achievement in the local high schools.  He likes reading positive motivational books, designing ball caps and working his FORTUNE HI-TECH Business in his down time.

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Ramon Thornton

Ramon Thornton is the Olmstead Coordinator for the Kentucky Consumer Advocate Network for Mental Wellness, Inc.  Ramon has been working with KYCAN for 6 years and is a sophomore in college studying criminal justice.  Ramon works in a variety of areas for KYCAN including the Olmstead Program and is a Peer Advocate at CSH.  He participates in CIT trainings, Case Management Trainings, and Consumer/Family Reviews of Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC).  He also represents KYCAN at the Olmstead Committee.

Robin Bensinger, M.A.T.

Robin Bensinger is the Diversity Coordinator of the Kentucky Consumer Advocate Network for Mental Wellness, Inc.  She speaks Spanish and loves to meet people from other cultures.  She taught ESL(English as a Second Language) at Jefferson County Public Schools from 1998 - 2005.  She now starts and implements support and education groups for Spanish speakers and other minority groups, such as African Americans.  She is the Vice President of DBSA Louisville (Depression Bipolar Support Alliance) and frequently serves as one of their meeting facilitators.  She is also the proud sponsor of a child from Ecuador through Children International and had participated in Compeer for Youth here in Louisville, KY.  She has two cats, Bunny and Bonita, as well as four nephews, and one niece.  She enjoys writing poetry, listening to music, doing basic web design and making short videos.

Robert D. Booth

Ron Ashton

Mr. Ashton oversees voter and employment education as well as networks and advocates with government officials, legislators and other elected officials.  Mr. Ashton has been a dedicated full-time KYCAN volunteer for more than 6 years.  In addition to having degrees in business administration and labor law, Mr. Ashton is a retired International Vice President of the Service Employees International Union.  The union worked on a bill with California to reduce the use of seclusion and restraint in that state.