Mental Health and Justice Partnerships

Cynthia Foy is an associate in Pew’s safety and justice portfolio. In that capacity, she supports the courts and communities and the mental health and justice partnerships projects by cultivating funded partnerships, streamlining the execution of grants and contracts, and providing project management expertise. Foy previously supported the state fiscal health, Health Impact Project, and safe food projects at Pew. Before joining Pew, Foy served as executive director for a small nonprofit that supported children with social developmental disabilities. Through this experience, she acquired expertise in strategic, analytical, and data-driven leadership and developed, implemented, and evaluated innovative programming for marginalized groups. Foy holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing from Saint Joseph’s College and is pursuing a master’s degree in political science and psychology from the University of Maryland.

Hillary Gore is a principal associate with Pew’s mental health and justice partnerships project. In this role, she provides technical assistance and policy analysis to states and localities seeking to address challenges across the behavioral health continuum. Before joining Pew, Gore worked at the intersection of mental health and justice in state and county government, probation, and treatment courts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a master’s in forensic psychology from Marymount University.

Kati Habert manages technical assistance for Pew’s mental health and justice partnerships project, supporting state and local policymakers in identifying approaches that improve responses to behavioral health emergencies. Before joining Pew, Habert was a program director at the Council of State Governments Justice Center, where she led Stepping Up, a national initiative focusing on behavioral health and local justice systems. She also worked as a senior associate at the National Association of Counties. Habert holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminology from the University of Maryland, College Park.

De’Ja Knight is an administrative assistant for Pew’s safety and justice portfolio, aiding the courts and communities and the mental health and justice partnerships projects. She is committed to facilitating the operational excellence of the projects, contributing to the mission of fostering effective legal systems and empowering communities for positive change. Knight holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Central Florida.

Breana Lamkin is a program officer in Pew’s safety and justice portfolio. In that capacity, she supports the courts and communities and the mental health and justice partnerships projects by managing partner relationships and ensuring that grants and agreements are strategic and effectively implemented. Lamkin previously led partnerships for Pew’s public safety performance project. Before joining Pew, Lamkin worked for the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, where she collaborated with advocates and organizers across the nation to examine the connection between racial injustice and mass incarceration. Lamkin holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Howard University and a master’s degree in public administration and policy from American University.

Connie Utada is a senior manager with Pew’s mental health and justice partnerships project, focusing on a multistate technical assistance effort to make behavior health crisis response systems more effective. Utada previously worked on Pew’s public safety performance project, leading technical assistance and research initiatives to improve probation and parole outcomes. She also managed sentencing and corrections reform efforts in several states. Before joining Pew, Utada developed state policies for marginalized communities and lobbied on immigration. Utada holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Smith College and a Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law.

Mara Weinstein is a senior manager in Pew’s safety and justice portfolio. Weinstein and her team support the courts and communities and the mental health and justice partnerships projects to cultivate funded partnerships, streamline the execution of grants and contracts, align strategic outreach efforts, and ensure consistency in safety and justice publications. Weinstein previously worked on the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative, providing technical assistance to state and county jurisdictions. Before joining Pew, Weinstein worked in juvenile justice and child welfare with the New York Foundling, leading the implementation and operation of several evidence-based programs across the city and supervising the agency’s educational services department for youth in foster care. Weinstein holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy and a master’s degree in criminal justice policy and administration from Boston University.