CASES is pleased to announce that Sarah Desmarais has been selected for membership on its Board of Trustees. Dr. Desmarais is the President of Policy Research Associates, Inc (PRA), a certified Women-Owned Small Business that is a national leader in behavioral health and research. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic priorities of PRA and oversight of PRA operations. Dr. Desmarais works on issues at the intersection of public health, community safety, and social justice; her research focuses on evidence-based practices for reducing detention rates, especially among people with behavioral health needs.

Prior to joining PRA, Dr. Desmarais received her Master’s and PhD in Forensic Psychology and Law from Simon Fraser University and was a tenured Professor of Psychology at North Carolina State University. There, she held leadership positions including serving as Director of the Center for Family and Community Engagement and Coordinator of the Applied Social and Community Psychology Graduate Program. She has provided technical assistance, evaluation services, and consultation to behavioral health, criminal justice, and intelligence agencies throughout the United States, including assisting CASES with implementing and evaluating risk assessment instruments.

Joel Copperman, CEO/President, is “extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Desmarais to the Board. She brings a wealth of expertise in the areas we work and our staff, programs, and clients will benefit from her knowledgeable insight.”

CASES’ Board of Trustees is made up of eleven individuals with varied expertise in the areas where CASES works. Last August, Joseph Williams was nominated to the Board. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the emergency department at Mt. Sinai Morningside/West Hospital. He received his Masters of Social Work at Columbia University and is currently enrolled at New York University for his doctorate degree.

Dr. William Breitbart and Leslie Gimbel, two longstanding members of the Board of the Trustees, exited the Board in June 2022. Dr. Breitbart, a psychiatrist and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, has served on the Board of Trustees since 2012 and was the Chair of the Governing Body Committee.

Ms. Gimbel joined the CASES Board of Trustees in 1997 and held a variety of leadership positions, including Chair of the Board of Trustees. She currently serves as President and CEO of the Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation, which focuses its grant-making on Defending and Strengthening Democracy and Climate and Environmental Justice.

CASES Board of Trustees is dedicated to advancing the mission of CASES and we thank Dr. Breitbart and Ms. Gimbel for their many years of service.

Please join us in welcoming Sarah to the CASES Community!