Full Name
Jennifer Schugam
Job Title
Director, Behavioral Health
Company
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Speaker Bio
Jennifer Schugam is the Director of Behavioral Health at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. In this role, she is responsible for guiding the strategic vision, planning, and execution of behavioral health programs aimed at improving healthcare equity, affordability, quality, and accessibility for Carefirst members across Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia. With over 22 years of experience in community psychiatric services and organizational leadership, Jennifer is a dedicated advocate for mental health accessibility and quality working to further build CareFirst's behavioral health offerings through innovative care solutions, provider partnerships, and data-driven strategies.
Jennifer's expertise in behavioral health includes senior leadership roles in both clinical and operational settings. Before joining CareFirst, she served as the Executive Director of Feeding the People, a non-profit organization she founded that provided home-delivered meals, in-home education, and support for low-income diabetics in Baltimore. Throughout her career, Jennifer has focused on delivering care to diverse populations, including vulnerable and underserved communities in Baltimore as a mobile treatment psychiatric therapist, supporting individuals with severe, chronic mental illnesses in state psychiatric facilities, mental health courts, and home settings. At CareFirst, Jennifer drives initiatives to integrate mental health services into the company's broader healthcare offerings, ensuring that members have access to holistic, person-centered care. Her initiatives include expanding access to preventive care and developing programs that cater to various demographics, leveraging digital tools and data analytics to improve and better connect members to care, tracking emerging behavioral health trends, and assessing program effectiveness.
Jennifer holds a Master of Social Work in Clinical Practice with Children and Families from the University of Maryland, School of Social Work, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She is a Clinical Supervisor for the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners and is a passionate advocate for destigmatizing mental health issues. She lives in Baltimore City with her human and dog children.
Jennifer's expertise in behavioral health includes senior leadership roles in both clinical and operational settings. Before joining CareFirst, she served as the Executive Director of Feeding the People, a non-profit organization she founded that provided home-delivered meals, in-home education, and support for low-income diabetics in Baltimore. Throughout her career, Jennifer has focused on delivering care to diverse populations, including vulnerable and underserved communities in Baltimore as a mobile treatment psychiatric therapist, supporting individuals with severe, chronic mental illnesses in state psychiatric facilities, mental health courts, and home settings. At CareFirst, Jennifer drives initiatives to integrate mental health services into the company's broader healthcare offerings, ensuring that members have access to holistic, person-centered care. Her initiatives include expanding access to preventive care and developing programs that cater to various demographics, leveraging digital tools and data analytics to improve and better connect members to care, tracking emerging behavioral health trends, and assessing program effectiveness.
Jennifer holds a Master of Social Work in Clinical Practice with Children and Families from the University of Maryland, School of Social Work, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She is a Clinical Supervisor for the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners and is a passionate advocate for destigmatizing mental health issues. She lives in Baltimore City with her human and dog children.
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