Leading With Purpose in Behavioral Health

A career in behavioral health isn’t measured in years, but in lives touched. At NatCon, the Lifetime Achievement Award honors leaders whose dedication, vision and impact have advanced mental health and substance use care. This year, we’re proud to recognize Michele Reid, MD, vice president and chief operating officer of CNS Healthcare, a National Council member and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic serving southeastern Michigan. We spoke with Dr. Reid about the experiences that shaped her career, the people who influenced her journey and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Looking back to the beginning of your career, what advice would you give your younger self?

“You will make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. Mental health matters, and individuals living with mental illness can and do recover.”

Who or what has had the greatest influence on your journey in behavioral health?

“I am most grateful for the individuals who have allowed me to walk alongside them in their health journeys. Their courage, resilience and openness have shaped me both personally and professionally.

“I am also deeply indebted to my parents, both psychiatric social workers and active leaders in community mental health, whose example shaped my path. Growing up around my father’s private practice and teaching at Wayne State University, and my mother’s clinical and administrative work in Detroit Public Schools, I sometimes feel as though I was born into this profession. Their influence remains one of my greatest sources of gratitude.”

Is there a moment or experience that changed how you think about mental health care?

“Participating in a peer-led, structured Personal Action Toward Health workshop focused on living with chronic conditions was truly transformative. Receiving assignments from trained facilitators — peers with deep lived experience in mental health, corrections and state hospital systems — reshaped my understanding in a profound way.”

Over the course of your career, what lesson has most shaped how you approach this work?

“One of the most pivotal lessons of my career has been understanding the true power of mental health recovery. The recovery model — and especially the role of peers — revealed an essential dimension of care that is too often overlooked.

“Peers bring authenticity, insight and lived experience that enrich the healing process in ways traditional services alone cannot. Programs like Clubhouse demonstrate how transformative peer-operated services can be, offering community, purpose and belonging that support recovery in lasting ways.”

What does receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award mean to you?

“This award affirms that I chose the right field, even in the face of early discouragement from those who doubted my path. This includes my guidance counselor, who did not recommend a career in medicine, and a medical school professor and a preceptor, both of whom questioned my choice of psychiatry.

“Their doubts could have altered my course, but instead they strengthened my resolve. This recognition validates the decisions, dedication and commitment that have guided me throughout my career.”