Jennifer Polen, LCSW, PMP, is the vice president of the Center for Training, Technical Assistance, and Consulting (CTTAC) at Advocates for Human Potential (AHP) and has more than 17 years of experience in healthcare. She supports AHP’s largest division in corporate monitoring across multiple projects, and in adherence to project management best practices. Ms. Polen, an experienced and passionate healthcare leader, has overseen the development, implementation, and growth of numerous behavioral health programs for diverse and underserved populations, including children in crisis, individuals on the autism spectrum, adults with serious mental illness, and at-risk pregnant and newly parenting women. Ms. Polen brings expertise in healthcare project management, trauma-informed care, behavioral health operations, and behavioral health workforce development to her role at AHP. 

 

Prior to joining AHP, Ms. Polen has worked in a variety of healthcare settings. She started her career in direct practice with particular interest in treating eating disorders and individuals with a history of sexual trauma. After moving into administration, Ms. Polen was responsible for partnering with the City of Philadelphia and a national behavioral health provider to open a continuum of crisis care for Philadelphia County focused on reducing admissions to restrictive levels of care and providing entry into a coordinated system of behavioral health care. She subsequently worked with the same provider organization, as director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships, to spearhead highly successful programming around restraint reduction, workforce engagement, and development of a state-of-the art program for children on the autism spectrum. Ms. Polen is an independently Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Arizona and Pennsylvania and is certified as a Project Management Professional.