Karen Hearod

Karen Hearod serves as Director of Behavioral Health, overseeing the strategic acquisition and delivery of outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services. In this leadership role, she ensures that procurement activities align with clinical outcomes, regulatory compliance, and population health goals. Her responsibilities include evaluating vendor capabilities, approving contract solicitations, and guiding the selection of service providers that meet federal standards for behavioral health care delivery. She primarily manages service-based acquisitions under the NAICS 621420 category, focusing on community-based outpatient centers, integrated care models, and telehealth-enabled treatment programs. While no specific contractor relationships are currently identified in the procurement record, Hearod’s portfolio consistently engages providers with demonstrated expertise in evidence-based practices, licensure compliance, and culturally competent care delivery. Her contracting approach prioritizes continuity of care, workforce capacity, and data-driven performance metrics, fostering long-term partnerships with qualified behavioral health organizations that can scale services across diverse communities. Hearod’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions designated as “No Set-Aside.” This indicates a focus on selecting the most qualified providers based on clinical quality, operational reliability, and compliance with state and federal behavioral health standards, rather than socioeconomic preference programs. While she does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her process remains transparent and competitive, ensuring equitable access for all eligible vendors. Her technical domain expertise centers exclusively on NAICS 621420, encompassing outpatient mental health clinics, substance use disorder treatment centers, and integrated behavioral health services delivered in community settings. She procures services including individual and group therapy, psychiatric evaluations, medication-assisted treatment, crisis intervention, and case management, emphasizing providers with certified clinical staff, electronic health record integration, and adherence to SAMHSA and CMS guidelines.