Linda Ligenza

Linda Ligenza supports national behavioral health quality improvement initiatives, with focus on helping organizations become trauma-informed. She was formerly with SAMHSA as the disaster trauma expert and lead for the FEMA-funded crisis counseling program in the Traumatic Stress Services Branch. She served as advisor to the SAMHSA Administrator, U.S. Surgeon General, and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on issues related to the Gulf Coast oil spill. Ligenza worked with the New York State Office of Mental Health for 20 years and was involved in the coordination of the New York City mental health response for families affected by 9/11. She is a social worker specializing in facilitating implementation of evidence-based clinical interventions, including treatments for trauma and a Mental Health First Aid instructor. As faculty to the National Council’s Trauma-Informed Care Learning Communities, Ligenza has led many behavioral health organizations toward developing a culture of trauma-informed care.