It is with profound sadness that Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP) announces the passing of its President, CEO, and Founder Neal Shifman. He died of natural causes at his home on August 28, leaving behind an incredible legacy in the fields of behavioral health and human services. He was known for the phrase “you can do well by doing good”—a sentiment he truly embodied in his work and life.  

 

For nearly four decades, Neal dedicated his life’s work to the mission of AHP—to advocate for human potential by transforming systems of care. He maintained a lifelong commitment to justice, equity, and better health outcomes for all people, particularly those who are marginalized or neglected by society. He grew AHP from a small Massachusetts company to a national firm, with hundreds of staff and projects across the country.  

 

Neal’s mission will be carried on by AHP’s new President and CEO Noah Shifman.  

 

“Neal was a visionary and brilliant leader who inspired us to create solutions to our nation’s most pressing behavioral health issues,” said Damien Newman, AHP Chief Financial Officer. “AHP has suffered a profound loss with his passing.” 

 

“Despite this great loss,” Newman continued. “The entire leadership team is confident in Noah’s ability to lead AHP moving forward. Noah is dedicated to maintaining the growth, innovation, and mission of AHP that his father fostered for more than 37 years. We are certain Noah’s experience over the past 15 years at AHP has prepared him for this moment, and we are firmly committed to supporting him during this transition.”  

 

Neal’s Legacy  

 

Before founding AHP, Neal led several nonprofit agencies and served as a family therapist. Intrigued by the idea of expanding individual treatment to the communities, he took his passion for bettering lives and created AHP. With his belief that “big problems require big solutions,” Neal collaborated with and recruited the foremost thought leaders across the behavioral health spectrum. 

 

Neal never wavered in his belief that change is possible when people work together. He faced monumental societal challenges head-on—such as the opioid epidemic, substance use disorders, homelessness, criminal justice, veterans’ well-being, widespread depression, and mental illness—and sought the most creative, innovative, and effective ways forward. He encouraged every member of AHP to do the same, constantly advocating for the human connection so essential to AHP’s work across the United States and abroad. 

 

As a subject matter expert, Neal skillfully translated knowledge about behavioral health care and human services to social policy and systems change. He was 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. Neal was also an early pioneer in developing the Continuum of Care (CoC) for substance use prevention and treatment. He worked extensively with federal and state systems on countless substance use and behavioral health projects. He was fond of saying “AHP finds solutions to America’s most vexing social infrastructure challenges.” 

AHP's Future

 

Neal had long been preparing his son, AHP’s Chief Operating Officer Noah Shifman, to assume the role of President and CEO. 

 

Noah brings varied experience in the healthcare consulting field to the company’s strategic direction and leadership. He previously served as AHP’s Director of Innovation and WRAP publications and initiatives. He oversaw innovation during a period of unprecedented growth for AHP, streamlining processes and expanding knowledge management efforts to better leverage the capabilities of AHP’s subject matter experts. 

As he embarks on his new role, Noah will ensure AHP’s life-changing work continues uninterrupted, and that Neal’s legacy is maintained.