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Community Corner

OCCMHA Names New CFO and CIO

Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority (OCCMHA) has promoted Anya Eliassen to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and named Donald Cope as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO). Eliassen replaces Willie Brooks who is now the agency’s executive director.

Eliassen began her career at OCCMHA as a purchasing clerk in 1999. One year later, she became a team supports specialist and held this position for eight years while pursuing her educational goals. 

Prior to her appointment as CFO, Eliassen held the position of controller of costing. She was promoted to this post after receiving her Master of Business Administration Degree in 2013. As controller, Eliassen supervised members of OCCMHA’s fiscal analyst team. She was also responsible for the financial management of the organization, including fund source management, funding allocations, and was the lead for annual financial, compliance, and A133 audits.

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In her role as CFO, Eliassen assumes the Budget and Finance responsibility of overseeing Costing, Accounting, Contracts, and Facility Management. She also serves as a member of OCCMHA’s executive leadership team responsible for evaluating and directing all organizational decisions to ensure quality service delivery for people through Oakland County’s public mental health system.

Cope’s extensive technical and management experience in driving organizational improvements and the implementation of best practices is highlighted by his impressive expertise in strategic planning, project management, policy development, customer relations, process improvement, and much more.

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As CIO, Cope’s responsibilities include collaborating with the organization’s executive leadership team to establish long range goals, strategies, plans, and policies. He is also responsible for ensuring that OCCMHA’s information systems produce the necessary data and information to assure quality outcomes are achieved for people receiving services through the public mental health system.

Prior to joining OCCMHA, Cope served as director of Information Systems for Newman Regional Health in Emporia, Kansas for three years. In this capacity he oversaw information systems used within hospital and clinic settings, as well as technical support for Newman School of Nursing and Newman Durable Medical Equipment.

During his more than 30 year career as an information systems professional, Cope has held a number of important positions to meet the technical needs of the organizations where he was employed. In addition to several director level appointments, he has also been a senior systems analyst, senior programmer analyst, and programmer analysis consultant.

About OCCMHA

Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority is the public mental health system responsible for identifying, influencing, and delivering services and supports to more than 23,000 Oakland County residents, including adults and children with developmental disabilities; adults with serious mental illness or substance use disorders; and children with serious emotional disturbance. 

OCCMHA’s network of service providers include: Common Ground, Community Housing Network, Community Living Services, Community Network Services, Easter Seals Michigan, Macomb-Oakland Regional Center, Oakland Family Services, Inc., and Training and Treatment Innovations. For more information about OCCMHA call (800) 341-2003 or visit www.occmha.org.  

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