Leadership
The leadership at Advantage Behavioral Health drives and supports our network of six behavioral health outpatient clinics and seven clinical sites for diverse individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities. Working with each other and with our employees, their knowledge and experience come together to make a difference for all our stakeholders – patients, healthcare providers, employees, and communities – serving the 10-county region of Northeast Georgia.
Tamara L. Conlin, LCSW
Chief Executive Officer
Tammy Conlin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience leading behavioral health service delivery systems in Ohio, Illinois, New York, and Georgia. She earned her Masters of Science in Social Administration (M.S.S.A.) from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. She has served in multiple leadership positions within the Georgia public safety net system. Prior to joining Advantage, she had the opportunity to serve as the Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Compliance Officer, Clinical Director, and Director of Quality Assurance at View Point Health. While living in New York, she served as the Manager of Acute Services of an inpatient and partial hospitalization program at Rochester General Health Systems.
Tammy is a passionate advocate for the individuals and families she serves. She promotes optimal client care and an environment that supports excellence and promotes both client and employee satisfaction. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Supportive Housing Association (GSHA).
Tammy enjoys spending time with her family and being active outdoors, playing golf, horseback riding, boating, fishing, and hiking.
Shannon Kelly, PhD
Chief Clinical Officer
Dr. Shannon Kelly began serving as the Chief Clinical Officer at Advantage in 2018. Prior to this role, Dr. Kelly served as the Director of Outpatient Clinics for Advantage. She brings over 15 years of experience as a clinician or supervisor in behavioral health and substance abuse organizations in both Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Dr. Kelly earned her Ph.D. from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is a licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia. She completed her pre-doctoral training in health service psychology at the Atlanta VA with concentrations in primary care mental health integration, sleep psychology, and neuropsychological assessment. She also has special training and interest in Lacanian psychoanalysis, dialectical behavioral therapy, and existential-phenomenological approaches to therapy.
Shahzad Hashmi, MD, DFAPA
Medical Director of Behavioral Health Crisis Center, Advantage Behavioral Health System
Dr. Hashmi is a Board-Certified Adult Psychiatrist with a Fellowship from Emory University in Geriatric Psychiatry. He currently serves as Advantage Behavioral Health Systems Medical Director of the Behavioral Health Crisis Center (BHCC). He specializes in adult and geriatric psychiatry and is the Chief Medical Officer of Salveo Integrative Health, Inc. Dr. Hashmi has held multiple titles of Medical Director across the State with the Community Service Board while also serving the needs of private patients at one of his two private practice locations in Lawrenceville and Flowery Branch.
Dr. Hashmi has taught hundreds of Medical Students, PA Students, Nurse Practitioner students, and Therapists from Universities across the state. Dr. Hashmi is a visionary in his field and provides consultation and management services for large organizations across the state in the most up to date practices in psychiatry and behavioral health. Dr. Hashmi believes in the integration of psychotropic medication, various counseling therapies, and holistic practices in order to treat the whole person and provide the most effective results for patients.
Evan Mills, MSW
Director of Development & Housing
Evan Mills came to Advantage in 2012 to assist with diversifying Advantage’s financial portfolio through the pursuit of local, State, and Federal grant opportunities. Prior to coming to Advantage, Evan worked for Athens-Clarke County government for 10 years administering federal grants to local nonprofit organizations and coordinating the continuum of care for homeless services within this region. Evan holds two degrees from the University of Georgia, a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s in Social Work.
Evan is responsible for the initiation and development of grant-supported programs as well as the ongoing grant management activities that support program design and evaluation of service delivery outcomes. Evan sits on several local and state nonprofit boards whose missions coincide with the underlying foundation of Advantage’s purpose which is to provide support to those most in need.
Tochuku Ikedionwu, LCSW
Director of Adult Specialty Programs
Tochuku Ikedionwu joined Advantage in 2014 to continue her passion in expanding the accessibility to mental health services to our local communities. During her tenure at Advantage she has had the opportunity to work with individuals in reaching their goals of recovery and purpose by assisting and developing mental health initiatives such as the Opioid Treatment services, Early Psychosis Community Based Treatment programs, High Acuity Community Based Therapeutic services, HIV prevention and intervention for African American women, and school based mental health services.
During the time she isn’t working at Advantage, she is serving on various nonprofit boards, serving the community as a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and crushing the competition playing board games.
Michelle “Mo” Creech, MPA, CPHQ
Director of Compliance
Mo Creech is a graduate of Georgia State University (Master of Public Administration) and Valdosta State University (BS in Psychology). While she has worked in various healthcare settings, she has more than ten years of experience serving Georgia Community Service Boards.
Mo is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (Univ of GA), and an active member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). She is passionate about process change and organizational development and reportedly thrives on celebrating incremental improvements whenever and wherever she can find them.
Mo’s self-care regimen consists primarily of family movie nights, playing tennis, and consuming copious amounts of chocolate.
Rebecca Grissom, DDP
Director – Quality Improvement Care Mgmt Dept
Rebecca Grissom has worked in the unique world of Community Services Boards since 1996 and joined Advantage Behavioral Health in 2004. She has served the agency in various roles coordinating and managing client services. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in human development. Rebecca is passionate about helping people live self-determined lives, fully included in the community that they chose.
In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys gardening, refurbishing furniture, and spending time with her family.
Laura Alexander, MPH
Director of Outcomes and Evaluation
Laura Alexander is the Director of Outcomes and Evaluation at Advantage. In her nearly two decades years of public health experience, she has worked in local public health, non-profits, and higher education, with an emphasis on addressing and reducing disparities in health access, health education, and health coverage. She has found her professional home at Advantage, where she has worked since 2015. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health and a certificate in Health Disparities.
When not working, Laura enjoys spending time with her family, a good book, and a cup of tea.
Carol Anne Baker, RN, MBA/HM, BSN, BS
Director of Compliance and Risk
Carol Anne Baker, RN, MBA/HM, BSN, BS – Director of Compliance and Risk. In two and a half decades of compliance experience, she has worked in the corporate setting of long term care, home health and hospice. Her area of speciality includes regulation and risk management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and holds an active license as a Registered Nurse. Ms. Baker also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration/ Healthcare Management.
When not working, Carol Anne enjoys spending time with her daughter, writing books for nursing students and spending time fishing off the coast of Georgia.