Leadership Team
Jefferson Center’s Management Team leads with a deeply held passion for creating a community where mental health matters and equitable care is accessible to all. The leadership team’s knowledge, drive, and experience come together to help create a workplace culture that supports employee wellbeing and operational excellence through collaboration, a people first approach, strong community partnerships, and innovation.
Jefferson Center is thrilled to welcome Edward Feraca as our new Chief Information Officer! As a seasoned healthcare technology executive, Edward brings deep experience as CTO, CIO, CISO, and Chief Product & Technology Officer. Throughout his multi-decade career, he has led large-scale digital transformations, built high-performing teams, and delivered innovative AI, data, and enterprise solutions that improve care and efficiency. Edward excels at bridging business and technology, architecting scalable platforms, and driving measurable impact—from modernizing systems and launching behavioral health and telehealth products to overseeing $100M+ budgets and guiding organizations through mergers and audits. Known for his user-centered approach and dynamic leadership, he consistently delivers secure, resilient infrastructures and digital solutions that support better outcomes for patients and providers.
Bernard DiCasimirro, D.O., is a board-certified psychiatrist and seasoned healthcare executive with a distinguished career spanning frontline clinical care to executive leadership in behavioral health. Dr. DiCasimirro currently serves as Lead Behavioral Health Medical Director at Capital BlueCross, where he has been instrumental in establishing steady-state operations for insourced behavioral health services and is actively developing a best-in-class behavioral health strategy for the organization.
Previously, Dr. DiCasimirro was Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Lucet (formerly New Directions Behavioral Health), overseeing psychiatric services for 15 million members nationwide, managing autism resources, and fostering strong relationships with health plan leaders and providers. His leadership extended to managing Medicaid benefits across nine Pennsylvania counties at PerformCare/Amerihealth Caritas, and directing psychiatric care for thousands of inmates as Statewide Psychiatric Director for the PA Department of Corrections.
Dr. DiCasimirro’s expertise includes clinical leadership, healthcare management, quality improvement, staff supervision, and change management. He has led teams of medical directors, supervised over 40 psychiatric clinicians, and optimized operations in both public and private sectors. His educational background includes a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Des Moines University and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Franklin and Marshall College.
Dr. DiCasimirro is committed to advancing behavioral healthcare, improving clinical outcomes, and supporting professional teams through the evolving landscape of mental health services.
Lenya’s experience and passion are essential to her role and overseeing a number of diverse clinical, operational and quality teams at Jefferson Center.
Prior leadership roles have contributed to a wealth of knowledge that guides decisions to best support and care for the people we serve while also meeting the guidelines required for Colorado’s behavioral health regulatory requirements.
Lenya uses her experiences to help understand and navigate the complexities of community mental health. During her time providing care to children, adolescents, and adults, specializing in the treatment of trauma, as well as all treatment settings, she gained unique perspectives that bring together the goals of meeting the needs of the community while demonstrating operational excellence.
Paula brings a wealth of executive leadership experience and a proven track record of delivering exceptional results across healthcare and business development. With deep expertise in managed care, behavioral health, home health, and supplemental benefits, Paula has consistently driven growth and innovation in every organization she has served.
Paula is renowned for her ability to build high-performing teams, execute visionary strategies, and foster robust relationships. Her experience spans mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, and profit and loss management, making her uniquely qualified to lead our growth and strategy efforts.
Becky brings over three decades of financial leadership and expertise. She is known for her commitment to excellence, integrity, and collaboration, and her skills in financial planning, strategic management, and operational oversight will be valuable assets to our organization.
Jefferson Center is excited to announce Alan Girard as Deputy Chief Operations Officer! Alan is a seasoned executive leader with over 20 years of experience in healthcare, specializing in strategy, operations, clinical services, compliance, and equity. He has driven $36 million in value-based contracting profits and pioneered shared data solutions for Colorado behavioral and physical health organizations. Alan’s previous leadership roles helped advance integrated care and operational efficiencies to increase access for behavioral health services. He holds an MBA in Health Administration, an MA in Clinical Counseling, and a BA in Psychology, and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Addiction Specialist, and Harvard-trained in health care leadership.
Jefferson Center is excited to announce Kristen Thome, MA, LCSW, as our new Deputy Chief Clinical Officer! She is an accomplished behavioral health leader with nearly 20 years of experience in clinical care, operations, and large-scale program implementation. Kristen holds advanced degrees from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, and has held leadership roles where she drove innovation in care coordination, digital health delivery, and operational strategy. Passionate about expanding access to high-quality behavioral health services, Kristen is recognized for her strategic leadership, collaborative approach, and commitment to advancing mental health as an essential part of overall well-being. Kristen is dedicated to making a meaningful impact in her community and supporting the mission of community mental health.