A new class of DBH graduates showcases groundbreaking research and system-level solutions shaping the future of integrated behavioral healthcare.

TEMPE, Ariz., Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies (CGI) proudly celebrated the graduation of ten new Doctors of Behavioral Health (DBH) during the commencement ceremony held on May 12, 2025, in Chandler, Arizona, on the ancestral homelands of the Akimel O'odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Peoples of the Gila River Indian Community, stewards of this land since time immemorial. The ceremony honored a diverse and accomplished cohort of healthcare leaders committed to advancing integrated behavioral health through innovation, advocacy, and systems-level change.

Graduate Highlights

Dr. Jilian Aesir, DBH, M.Ed.

Dr. Jilian Aesir is a Doctor of Behavioral Health and STEM educator on California's Central Coast, empowering secondary and post-secondary students to engage deeply in scientific and medical learning. Her work focuses on neuropathology, adolescent suicidality, and restructuring systems to improve mental health service delivery in schools. Her culminating project, A Population Health Approach to Identifying and Mitigating Adolescent Suicidality and Associated Risk Factors in Educational Settings, proposes a district-wide population health framework to better identify and support students at risk for suicidality through coordinated, data-driven interventions.

Dr. Brandy K. Biglow, DBH, LMHC, QS, CCTP

Dr. Brandy Biglow, co-founder of Renovation Integrative Health, LLC, has spent 12 years as a counselor, clinical supervisor, and licensed clinical program manager. A licensed mental health counselor and supervisor in Florida, she also holds credentials in trauma treatment, coaching, and burnout specialization. Her culminating project, Surveying Occupational Burnout, Self-Care Practices, and Work Environment in the Healthcare Industry, used literature review, mixed-methods research, and business planning to evaluate burnout among healthcare professionals and identify opportunities for workplace improvement and prevention.

Dr. Eddie Lee Blakes Jr., DBH, MSAC, LIAC, BHP

Dr. Eddie Lee Blakes Jr., Founder/CEO of VR Psych Services LLC, is pioneering Trauma-Focused Virtual Reality Therapy to expand access to trauma care. Drawing from years of experience serving high-risk youth and adults, Dr. Blakes champions equitable mental health solutions for underserved communities. Their culminating project, Treating Trauma's Effects on the Body, Mind, and Soul Through Virtual Reality–Trauma Focused Therapy (VR-TFT), explores how immersive VR can enhance established trauma treatments, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, to reduce symptoms of treatment-resistant PTSD, depression, and anxiety through multisensory engagement.

Dr. Cory H. Cannady, DBH, BCBA, LBA

Dr. Cory Cannady is a Chattanooga-based Doctor of Behavioral Health and Board Certified Behavior Analyst whose career spans education and applied behavior analysis. Now Assistant Clinical Director at Elevate Behavior Services, he supports families and mentors future clinicians. His culminating project, Deciding Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Dosage Recommendations for Pediatric Outpatient ABA Practices, introduces a structured, objective framework for determining ABA dosage using medical necessity criteria and historical pediatric data for children ages 15 months to 14 years, addressing long-standing inconsistencies in dosage decision-making.

Dr. Michelle Francis, DBH, LCSW, LICSW, QS

Born in Jamaica and raised in South Florida, Dr. Francis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and founder of Pinnacle Clinical Solutions, serving clients in Florida, Texas, and Massachusetts. Her culminating project, Improving Access to Treatment in African American Communities Through Integration and Collaboration, examines how culture, religion, and race influence treatment-seeking behavior among African American adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use symptoms and explores whether culturally competent behavioral health integration within primary care can increase referral follow-through and improve outcomes.

Dr. Jerrika Olivia Henderson, DBH, CMHC

Dr. Jerrika Henderson is a Doctor of Behavioral Health and Clinical Mental Health Counselor with experience in counseling, business development, and community-based care in Memphis, Tennessee. Her culminating project, Enhancing Consumer Outcomes Through Effective Care Management, analyzes how quality service delivery, personalized care plans, and collaborative models influence consumer outcomes in community health settings and offers strategies to strengthen patient-centered care and service quality.

Dr. Rhea L. Hill, DBH, LPC

Dr. Rhea Hill is a licensed professional counselor in Dallas, Texas, with extensive experience supporting survivors of domestic violence, youth with behavioral challenges, and individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, and women's mental health issues. Her culminating project, Factors Contributing to the Development of Autoimmune Diseases in Trauma Survivors and the Impact of Equine-Assisted Therapy on Treatment Outcomes, examines how trauma interacts with autoimmune symptoms and explores how equine-assisted therapies can enhance treatment outcomes through collaboration with medical providers.

Dr. Shadiase R. Jack, DBH, LCSW-C, M.Sc.

Dr. Shadiase Jack, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, is a Licensed Certified Social Worker with more than a decade of experience supporting diverse communities. Her culminating project, Integrated Healthcare in the English-Speaking Caribbean, evaluates how adopting integrated healthcare models and electronic medical records can enhance care coordination, improve service quality, and strengthen population health outcomes across the Caribbean.

Dr. Markias Kaiyan Littlejohn, DBH, LCSW, CST

Dr. Markias Littlejohn is a Licensed Sex Therapist, Clinical Sexologist, and Integrative Practitioner specializing in sexual health since 2013. His culminating project, Utilizing Sexological Interventions in Primary Care to Improve the Sexual Functioning and Quality of Life for Men Experiencing Sexual Dysfunction, introduces the Sexological Interventions in Primary Care (SIP-C) model, an integrated clinical pathway designed to reduce stigma, enhance provider confidence, and deliver accessible treatment for male sexual dysfunction. The model strengthens workflows, improves outcomes, and fills a notable gap in national sexual healthcare.

Dr. Kenneth L. Roberts, DBH, MPS, LPCC, LADC

With more than 15 years of experience in co-occurring mental health and substance use treatment, Dr. Roberts is trained in Prolonged Exposure and Accelerated Resolution Therapy for PTSD and serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Minnesota and Metropolitan State University. His culminating project, Entrepreneurial Development of Integrated Recovery Services (IRS) and the Integrated Narrative Schema Exposure Model (INSET), outlines a research-based business plan for a trauma-informed training company designed to expand clinician access to high-quality instruction and improve outcomes for individuals with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder.

"CGI graduates are different," said Dr. Cara English, CGI CEO and CAO. "Not only do they fundamentally understand that the person seeking care must be restored to the center of care design, they passionately pursue getting to the root causes of health concerns so individuals can experience relief as soon as possible, without developing dependence on the clinician or system. These Doctors of Behavioral Health are innovating healthcare with a better quality of life for all as their compass. I am so proud of their work."

About the DBH Program

The Doctor of Behavioral Health program at CGI prepares healthcare professionals to lead transformative change in integrated behavioral health through advanced education, research, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Graduates are trained to address complex health challenges affecting medical, behavioral, and community systems.

Learn more at cgi.edu/dbh.

About Cummings Graduate Institute

Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies is a nonprofit, DEAC-accredited, private online institution offering graduate education in integrated behavioral healthcare. CGI is dedicated to preparing a highly skilled workforce equipped to meet the evolving needs of modern healthcare systems.

Contact:
Melissa McGurgan
***@cgi.edu

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SOURCE Cummings Graduate Institute