Cari Ann is an accomplished compliance and risk professional who has successfully tackled progressively challenging leadership roles within behavioral health organizations. She has built organization-wide clinical programs that achieved rapid growth, improved clinical quality, grew productivity, strengthened compliance, and lowered risk. Cari holds a license in marriage and family therapy and has used her experience as a clinician to inform her views on compliance and risk. Cari has created comprehensive organization compliance and internal auditing programs that increase clinical quality and compliance outcomes across programs. Cari was selected as a Young Leader by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, allowing her to collaborate with clinical compliance professionals across the nation.

As chief compliance and risk management officer (CCO), Cari oversees and monitors OPTIMUS’ compliance and risk activities, which are designed to guide the conduct of employees, as well as to maintain and foster the improvement of the quality of operational functions and clinical services and proactively guard against clinical and enterprise risks. Specifically, the CCO (a) coordinates health-center-wide proactive compliance and risk management programs, (b) manages policies and programs for the internal reporting of noncompliant activities; reviews, audits, and monitors the efficacy of billing, financial, insurance, conflicts of interest, and privacy programs; as well as the standards and guidelines for disciplinary, corrective actions, and reporting process, (c) manages OPTIMUS’ Compliance Program and facilitates the establishment of procedures to reduce identified problem areas, (d) promotes employee education regarding the commitment to compliance with all laws, regulations, and guidelines applicable to the OPTIMUS business.

Additionally, the CCO oversees the Medical Records and Security department staff and services. This includes subpoena management, safety and security programs for the organization, and the responsibility of ensuring the organization remains in compliance with regulatory standards pertaining to state facility licensing. Cari Ann holds a Master of Arts in marriage and family therapy and a Bachelor of Science in psychology and is an international accreditation surveyor with CARF international.