The FSU-Whole Child Leon Pediatric Behavioral Health Hub is a partnership with the Florida Department of Health Children’s Medical Services that aims to improve pediatric behavioral health outcomes in the Big Bend region of Florida.
The Hub works closely with community Pediatricians and Pediatric practices to help build capacity to detect, refer and treat kids and families for behavioral health care. The Behavioral Health Hub services include training and technical assistance for pediatric and behavioral health clinicians, care coordination to behavioral health services, and access to psychiatric and behavioral health consultations.
If you think you could benefit from the FSU Pediatric Behavioral Health Hub, here’s what to do:
We currently do not accept self-referrals. Ask your child’s pediatrician or primary care physician for a referral to the FSU Pediatric Behavioral Health Hub. If you do not currently have a primary care physician, please call
Heather A. Flynn, Ph.D
Director
Heather A. Flynn, Ph.D., is a Professor at the Florida State University (FSU), College of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine. She is the Director of the FSU Center for Behavioral Health Integration.
Dr. Flynn received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Florida State University and completed a mental health and substance use fellowship at the University of Michigan Medical School in 1998. She served on the faculty at the UM Department of Psychiatry from 1998-2011, where she co-founded the UM Women and Infants Mental Health Program.
Dr. Flynn’s research is focused on improved identification, treatment, and outcomes for behavioral health disorders, with a particular focus on women and children. As a clinical psychologist, she has worked for over 25 years as a clinician, researcher, and trainer in the behavioral health field.
Her work is specifically aimed at developing and testing for behavioral health in medical and community settings. Dr. Flynn is also involved in statewide, national, and international work on improving behavioral health approaches and outcomes. She is the Co-Chair of the Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative and the Women & Mood Disorders Task Group Chair within the National Network of Depression Centers. She has worked with teams to develop international quality standards by implementing processes for practitioner and trainer/supervisor certifications in evidence-based behavioral health treatments, including Motivational Interviewing and Interpersonal Psychotherapy.
In 2018, Dr. Flynn was appointed to serve on the Florida Governors Mental Health Task Force. She also served as a member of the Florida Statewide Suicide Prevention Task Force, and in 2020 was appointed to the Florida Governors Opioid Task Force. Dr. Flynn is passionate about community-partnered, collaborative work to improve mental health and substance use for families in the US and worldwide.
Amandla Shabaka-Haynes, MD
Program Manager
Dr. Shabaka-Haynes is a Program Manager in the Department of Behavioral Science & Social Medicine Department of Florida State University’s College of Medicine. Dr. Shabaka-Haynes completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Xavier University of Louisiana and her medical training at the Latin American School of Medicine. As resource & referral specialist for the FL BH IMPACT program,
Dr. Haynes’ role is to assist in evaluating the mental health, substance use, and other support service needs for providers and their patients struggling with behavioral health issues. She also serves as a liaison for providers and patients to community behavioral health resources.
Megan Deichen Hansen, Ph.D., M.S.W
Assistant Professor
Megan Deichen Hansen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Science & Social Medicine Department of Florida State University’s College of Medicine. Dr. Deichen Hansen completed her Ph.D. in 2019 from the Florida State University College of Social Work.
Dr. Deichen Hansen’s research occurs at the nexus of perinatal health, social work, and social justice. The underlying goal of her research stems from three primary intentions: 1) to provide a holistic understanding of the ways that social determinants of health shape and influence maternal and infant health outcomes; 2) to promote informed decision-making among perinatal healthcare providers; and 3) to identify areas in which policies and programs can be strengthened to promote health equity during the perinatal window.
Dr. Deichen Hansen actively engages and collaborates with a variety of stakeholders, researchers, and healthcare professionals across disciplines.an Assistant Professo
Monica Ragans
Project Manager
Monica is a Project Manager for the Center for Behavioral Health Integration to include Florida BH IMPACT at Florida State University College of Medicine. She is responsible for the management and implementation of projects at the Center.
Monica completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science at Florida State University. She has been working with the FSU College of Medicine since 2006.
Mary Norton, MD, FAAP
Pediatric Content Expert
Dr. Norton is a board certified general pediatrician with strong interests in community pediatrics, integrated behavioral health and primary care, and trauma responsive care. She completed her pediatric residency training in Greenville, South Carolina, at Greenville Children’s Hospital in 2016, then was a stay-at-home mom to her three young girls before joining the FSU College of Medicine in 2017.
She has been closely involved with school based health clinics in Gadsden and Leon Counties, and was the founding pediatrician at FSU PrimaryHealth in SW Tallahassee, the medical partner of the Leon County Community Partnership School at Sabal Palm Elementary School. She currently practices general pediatrics with Tallahassee Primary Care Associates at Tallahassee Pediatrics. As pediatric content expert on the project, Dr. Norton’s role is to help with engagement and retention of pediatric practices, devising processes and practices to integrate into the pediatric workflow to address behavioral health and to determine best practice pediatric behavioral health integration.
Cori McGooden, M.S.W., L.C.S.W
Pediatric Program Coordinator
Cori has a bachelor’s degree in criminology and master’s degree in social work, both from Florida State University. She is a Florida licensed clinical social worker and a qualified clinical supervisor. Over the last 30 years, she has worked in the areas of youth empowerment, criminal justice, child welfare, adoptions as well as substance abuse and mental health. In 2019, Cori joined FSU’s College of Medicine. In April of that year, she became the inaugural behavioral health provider integrated into FSU Primary Health’s practice, where she focused on behavioral health integration and pediatrics. She now serves at the Project Coordinator for the Center for Behavioral Health Integration’s Hub at Whole Child Leon. Cori’s professional focus is facilitating collaboration to improve access and outcomes.
