Deborah (Debbi) Witham
Managing Director of Public Policy | CARF International
Washington, DC, UNITED STATES
Deborah A. Witham, M.S.W., J.D., leads CARF’s ongoing assessment of and response to developments in public policy.
Spotlight
Biography
Deborah Witham, M.S.W., J.D, managing director of public policy, leads CARF’s ongoing assessment of and response to developments in public policy affecting the U.S. health and human services sector. She is also responsible for standards development and relationships with regulators in the area of opioid treatment programs.
Deborah has vast experience in both direct care and executive functions in nonprofit organizations, including compliance and program oversight, and has worked with payers, regulators, and government officials. Prior to joining CARF as a staff member, she served as a CARF surveyor for the Opioid Treatment Program unit.
Prior to joining CARF, Deborah held the following positions:
Faculty Liason
Adelphi University - Garden City, New York
Provides academic and field practicum advising to Social Work students.
Field Advisor
Hunter College - New York, New York
Provides academic and field practicum advising to Social Work students. Facilitate group advising sessions using competency based curriculum.
Areas of Expertise (16)
Quality
Primary care and behavioral health integration
HIV & AIDS
Substance Use Disorders
Social Determinants of Health
Methadone Clinics
Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
1915(c) Medicaid waivers
Opioid Addiction & Recovery
Value-based care
42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 8
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
Opioid Treatment Program
Nonprofit Management
Homelessness
Children and Families
Education (3)
New York Law School: Juris Doctor, Law 2007
University of Pittsburgh: M.A., Social Work 2001
University of Pittsburgh: B.A., Social Work 2000
Links (2)
Media Appearances (1)
CARF International announces new position and hire of public policy managing director Deborah A. Witham
CARF news releases online
2017-09-26
CARF International, the nonprofit accreditor of health and human service organizations, is pleased to announce the hiring of Deborah A. Witham, M.S.W., J.D., in the new role of managing director of public policy beginning October 3, 2017. Based in Washington D.C., Witham will lead CARF’s continuous assessment of, and responsiveness to, developments in public policy affecting health and human services nationally. She will report to Darren M. Lehrfeld, J.D., CARF’s Chief Accreditation Officer and General Counsel.
Event Appearances (9)
2020 CMS Quality Conference
Aligning to Ensure Safety, Quality, and Value Baltimore, MD
2020-02-25
Business Group on Health
Driving Change Together Washington, D.C.
2020-03-25
National Indian Child Welfare Conference
38th Annual Protecting Our Children National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect Denver, CO
2020-03-29
National Council on Behavioral Health
NatCon 20 Kaleidoscope Austin, TX
2020-04-04
Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit
Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit 2020 Nashville, TN
2020-04-13
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
IHI Summit on Primary Care National Harbor, MD
2020-04-16
National Jewish Human Services Association
NJHSA Annual Conference Vision 2020: CONVENE. CONNECT. COLLABORATE. Dallas, TX
2020-05-03
Corporation for Supportive Housing
CSH Summit Philadelphia, PN
2020-05-27
Modern Healthcare
Social Determinants of Health Symposium Salt Lake City, UT
2020-06-02
Articles (2)
When the opioid crisis comes home
CARF International
2020-02-27
When an opioid treatment program opens its doors in a residential area, its neighbors may have concerns, but these programs are providing life-saving treatment that will ultimately strengthen the community.
A Way to Help Meet Federal Oversight Goals for Assisted Living
VOICES of the Governing Institute
2018-08-06
Deborah Witham, discusses how a public-private partnership could help bridge the gap between CMS oversight and the unique and dynamic assisted-living field.
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