OUR TEAM
“Eduardo is a national treasure. An inspiring leader who shows not only what needs to be done, but exactly how we can do it together... ” Judge Ginger-Lerner Wren
Eduardo Vega- Humannovations Founder, CEO and Principal
An internationally recognized thought leader in mental health systems, programs and policy, consumer/patient engagement, stigma reduction, men’s health and suicide prevention, Eduardo Vega’s work continues to drive the forefront of change for mental health worldwide. A former Fulbright Specialist and California State Mental Health Commissioner, he has spearheaded progressive social and public health change at local, national and international levels.
For over twenty-five years, Vega has worked for the improvement of lives and systems of care in behavioral health. A suicide attempt survivor who experienced serious mental health conditions himself since childhood, Vega has served as counselor and/or manager in virtually every psychosocial and clinical mental health service setting, as well as performing executive roles in government, business and non-profit administration. As President and CEO of Mental Health Association of San Francisco from 2010 to 2016, he drove organizational expansion near one-thousand percent in three years, focusing on innovation in consumer-run services and community empowerment. Simultaneously, as Director and Principal Investigator at the International Center for Dignity, Recovery and Empowerment Vega spearheaded leading-edge research, TA and training projects in suicide and stigma and discrimination reduction, community integration, self-help and peer support. Previously, he served at the executive management level of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, one of the world’s largest public mental health authorities.
Highly sought as a speaker for his dynamism and ability to connect personal experience with systems and social change, Mr. Vega has presented and consulted on policy and technical issues in behavioral health with stakeholder and consumer groups, private industry and government throughout the US, in Japan, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Fiji and Latin America. He serves on the boards of the College for Behavioral Health Leadership and United Suicide Survivors International, the Steering Committee of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Global Anti-Stigma Alliance, and the Executive Committee of the US National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, through which he founded the world’s first suicide attempt survivor task force. Eduardo Vega holds an M.A. in Psychology from the Graduate Faculty of New School.
Vega has been recognized by the State of California, the United States Senate, the US federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the nation of Fiji, the International Initiative on Mental Health Leadership and the United States Surgeon General among others.
Lisa Goodale, MSW
Ms. Goodale has over twenty years’ experience in the area of mental health training, programs and policy, with a focus on peer support training in clinical and community-based care settings. As a Vice President for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) she was instrumental in securing and managed a $1M+ national peer specialist training and certification contract with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and managed day-to-day activities, reporting, and evaluation of a $250,000 SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services national consumer technical assistance center grant. She developed new training and consultation business related to implementation of peer support services, peer specialist training/certification, Veteran related issues and needs, and overall mental health training and consultation; secured approval of DBSA’s Certified Peer Specialist training curriculum by the national VA Office of Mental Health Services and the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs; and created and delivered online and conference-based workshops, training/continuing education courses, and organizational technical assistance. Ms. Goodale has participated as a co-investigator and advisor for multiple federally funded research and technical assistance projects, as well as serving as reviewer/consultant to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). She has been a featured speaker nationally and provided expert testimony to the US Congress. It is her joy and special privilege to have been invited along on the recovery journeys of so many courageous people.
Seraluna Sanchez, MUP
Sera is a proud mom, identifies as living with a mental health condition, and is a survivor of DV, SA, substance addiction, homelessness, community violence, suicide loss, and multiple suicide attempts. She brings her lived experience to Humannovations as Operations Manager, Co-Trainer, and Intensity Player. She has provided direct peer support, consultation, and training for the Disaster Distress Helpline's Online Peer Support Communities' Survivors of Mass Violence. Her operations extend into the Living Beyond Suicide Initiative, where she offers programming and technical assistance. Her service with the Watts Rising Anti-Displacement program positioned her to understand the immediate need to address both internal and interregional displacement as trauma. She combines an urban planning perspective in the context of suicide prevention by identifying the impacts on mental and emotional health that stem from injustices within systems. Her heart's work is to support those experiencing violence, regional instability, and environmental displacement. In the spirit of decolonization and reduction of human misery, she joins the call for a global legal framework to protect and care for those displaced between borders and the demand for the recognition of their dignity and natural human right to migrate. She is thankful for the opportunity to work alongside caring, dedicated individuals who embody the spirit of justice and compassion.
Randyn Gries
Randyn Gries is the Administrative Intern for Humannovations. He is a graduate of San Jose State University with a Bachelor’s of History degree. Randyn’s beliefs align with the values of Humannovations and he is passionate in making sure he and others are able to find even small joys in life no matter what it throws their way. He enjoys the mission of his work, the people he works alongside, and is excited to see where his advocacy and efforts will take him.
"There is a kind of magicness about going far away and then coming back all changed."
- Kate Douglas Wiggin