Crystal O’Briant is a Solutions and Design Director for Optum Behavioral Health. She began her career as an outpatient therapist in rural North Carolina. After several years working with individuals experiencing serious mental illness (SMI), Crystal shifted her focus from direct practice to payer organizations at the local, state, and national levels. Over the past decade, she has held various roles, including behavioral health care coordination, program management, clinical solutioning, and program design. These experiences have enabled Crystal to collaborate with numerous behavioral health providers, vendors, and tech companies. In 2022, Crystal joined Optum Behavioral Health Solutions (OBHS). Her role focuses on designing value-based programs within the government sector, with an emphasis on improving access, integrated care, and quality for SMI and substance use disorder (SUD) populations. Crystal holds a master’s degree in social work from North Carolina State University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She resides in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with her husband, Jason, and their two children.