Jon Perez, Ph.D.
Chief Operating Officer
Jon Perez serves as the Chief Operating Officer at The NARBHA Institute. He brings with him a rich background of experience in clinical psychology and 30 years of federal behavioral health service, from direct care to policy and program management in the U.S. and abroad, including multiple Joint Force deployments. His federal career in northern Arizona began as Director of Behavioral Health for the White Mountain Apache Tribe, before ultimately directing behavioral health for the Indian Health Service in Washington, D.C., where he provided national program and policy leadership. Commissioned in the U.S. Public Health Service in 1992, he served in a variety of capacities from direct clinical work to managing small-to-large direct service programs. His most recent position was as the Acting Regional Director for the US Department of Health and Human Services in HHS Region IX, where he also served as the Regional Administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He is well known for developing programs for international health diplomacy efforts and creating disaster response networks, including serving as behavioral health commander during initial U.S. tsunami relief efforts in Aceh, Indonesia. He also served as Senior Liaison Officer between coalition forces and the Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health.