Kimberly Walsh

Headshot
Kimberly Walsh headshot

Kim currently serves as the Center Lead overseeing JBS International's Thriving Families Impact Center, home to numerous successful efforts supporting children, youth, families, caregivers, and communities. As a transformational leader, she brings 37 years of progressively responsible experience in national, state, tribal, and community behavioral health systems evolution and management. Her extensive experience covers substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment, including expansion in the use of medications for opioid use disorder treatment, family treatment, and developing and implementing effective models of care, including treatment, post-treatment, and recovery supports. Kim also possesses specialized knowledge and expertise in victim and survivor support services, including law enforcement-based advocacy and training; she established comprehensive family services for American Indian and Alaska Native populations and provided direct services, advocacy, and housing development and access for people experiencing homelessness. 

Kim uses her many years of experience to design training and technical assistance (TTA), including strategies that address cross-cutting needs and deliver tailored TTA for and with individual grantees, communities, states, and funders to meet their unique needs. In this endeavor, she specializes in capacity building, identification of partner opportunities, and collaboration to deliver comprehensive and innovative TTA. Results-oriented, with a constant eye on outcomes that positively affect the lives of those served, her expertise on opioid issues and TTA delivery arose from many years of intensive work improving system capabilities. As the former Deputy Commissioner for West Virginia’s Department of Health and Human Resources, Kim managed statewide substance use, mental health, and developmental disabilities services. In this role, she oversaw the State Opioid Treatment Authority and specialty women’s services, as well as the balancing and evolution of the state’s SUD prevention and treatment system to one capable of effectively meeting the needs of people who sought services. Furthermore, she was responsible for statewide coordination of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Substance Abuse and affiliated six regional task forces, as well as for the WV Interagency Council on Homelessness on behalf of the Governor.

Kim holds dual master’s degrees in social work and public administration from West Virginia University and Educational Leadership certification from the University of West Georgia; she is also a licensed social worker in WV and GA. Residing in GA with her husband, two children, and two cats, she is active with local non-profit organizations, enjoys cooking, and is always planning her next trip to the ocean—her happy place.