Danica Brown (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) serves as KAI’s vice president for behavioral health transformation with more than 29 years of experience supporting all aspects of system and service transformation to improve services and operations for vulnerable youth and family populations. Dr. Brown provides subject matter expertise in social work, public health research, cross-system program development, historical trauma impacts on health outcomes among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities and using a resilience and strength-based framework and Indigenous Ways of Knowing. Prior to KAI and as behavioral health program director with the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, Dr. Brown acted as the primary resource for behavioral health technical assistance, training, management, quality assurance and supervision of the behavioral health program. She also instructs at Portland State University’s School of Social Work and Indigenous Nations Studies, teaching students about substance abuse in social work practice, social work in American Indian communities, and tribal critical race theory. Dr. Brown holds a doctorate of philosophy degree in social work from Portland State University, a masters in social work from Colorado State University, and a bachelor of science in human services, with a minor in high-risk youth studies from Metropolitan State College of Denver. She is also a certified addition counselor III (CAC III) through the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.
