Neal Shifman, M.A., is the founder, president, and CEO of Advocates for Human Potential (AHP). He is responsible for the overall direction, vision, and management of this company of approximately 100 employees. Other responsibilities include the oversight of new business development, resource planning, strategic planning, and directing the corporate-level and senior management staff. His leadership style, like that of his consulting orientation and the organization that he directs, is facilitative, empowering, and strategic. His commitment to the work that he and AHP do, as well as the culture of the company, is oriented toward systems change, delivery of quality services, and improving the lives of vulnerable populations.
As a subject matter expert, he translates knowledge in behavioral health care and human services to social policy and systems change. He is a nationally and internationally known consultant and facilitator in service system redesign, with special expertise in substance use, mental health, criminal justice, and a variety of at-risk populations and their interface with social service systems. Mr. Shifman was an early pioneer in developing the Continuum of Care (CoC) for substance use prevention and treatment. He has worked extensively with federal and state systems on a large number of substance use and behavioral health projects.
Internationally, a venue for his work has been in the Caribbean. For the past 12 years, Mr. Shifman has led a number of strategic initiatives involving governments (both civil servants and political ministries), the judicial systems, nongovernment organizations, and the private sector. Examples of his work have included the design of the substance use delivery system in St. Maarten; the coordination, development, and implementation of a World Health Organization (WHO)-sponsored Caribbean Initiative on substance use; policy, facilitative, and writing support for the United Nations Drug Control Program’s (UNDCP) International Drug Court Project; a 3-year redesign of the criminal justice system in Bermuda known as Alternatives to Incarceration, and a similar effort in St. Maarten; and numerous strategic planning, program design, and needs assessments for nongovernmental organizations ranging from HIV/AIDS to child and adolescent services, women and violence, substance use prevention and treatment, labor and training, and welfare and social services.
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