Jenn Faul

Jenn has an unwavering pursuit to provide behavioral health services to all people, especially children, across the state of North Dakota. For the past twenty-five years Jenn has dedicated her career, education and additional opportunities to achieve this purpose.

For twenty-two years, Jenn was employed by the largest independent behavioral healthcare facility serving children and adults in the state of North Dakota. During this time she transitioned from being a clinical social work therapist to the Director of Clinics, Director of Quality, Director of Risk Management, and ultimately became the Chief Operating Officer for the last ten years of being with the organization.

In 2018, Jenn and Kim Mertz, North Dakota Department of Health, applied for and were awarded the North Dakota Pediatric Mental Health Care Access program grant. The grant objectives include multiple ways for youth in rural areas to access behavioral healthcare. Having grown up in rural North Dakota herself, Jenn was aware of the desperate need for services over thirty years ago and understands those needs are still there.

Also, in 2018, Jenn was awarded a Bush Foundation Fellowship in Leadership. Time spent in the fellowship was used to learn and grow in ways to be able to create and deliver a more innovative behavioral health care system for residents of North Dakota. Through the fellowship, Jenn took leave of employment to travel to New Zealand to complete research for her PhD studies in Education, with an emphasis on Institutional Effectiveness and Organizational Leadership. During her time in New Zealand, Jenn was able to observe and participate in the training of school personnel to teach to the whole child’s needs, not just academic needs.

Upon her return to North Dakota, Jenn joined the Center for BioBehavioral Research, Sanford Research North, where she continues to work the North Dakota Pediatric Mental Health Care Access program as well as other innovative behavioral health care delivery methods.