Exciting News!
Frazer Center’s CEO, DeAnna Julian, has been appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to the Georgia Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission (BHRI Commission). This honor recognizes DeAnna’s decades of work championing the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and her commitment to building systems that truly serve everyone.
What is the BHRI Commission?
Created by the Georgia legislature in 2019, the BHRI Commission brings together leaders from across the state to take a hard look at Georgia’s behavioral health system and reimagine it for the future. The commission examines everything from how people access care, to workforce shortages, to the role of schools, to how the justice system responds to people in crisis.
Its recommendations have already sparked major changes, including the 2022 Georgia Mental Health Parity Act, which requires insurance companies to cover behavioral health services the same way they cover physical health care. The work is ongoing, with a focus on expanding crisis services, strengthening the workforce, improving access in rural areas, and making sure care is coordinated across different systems.
The BHRI Commission is composed of 24 appointed members who work through subcommittees including Children & Adolescent Behavioral Health, Hospital & Short-Term Care Facilities, Mental Health Courts & Corrections, and the newly formed IDD subcommittee on which DeAnna will serve. Upcoming priorities include expanding crisis services, addressing workforce shortages, and improving care coordination across public systems.
A Leader with Both Heart and Expertise
For DeAnna, the appointment is more than a professional milestone—it’s deeply personal.
Pride from the Frazer Community
The Frazer Center family is just as excited about DeAnna’s appointment.
“DeAnna leads with both her head and her heart,” said Greg Sale, Frazer Center’s Board Chair. “She understands the systems, but more importantly, she knows the people—our participants, their families, and the challenges they face every day. Having her at the table means Georgia’s policies will be more compassionate, more inclusive, and more effective.”
Frazer Center’s Voice on a Statewide Stage
Frazer Center has been serving Atlanta for more than 75 years, providing inclusive early childhood education for children with and without disabilities, as well as community access and supported employment programs for adults with disabilities. We know firsthand that behavioral health is a critical part of inclusion, equity, and opportunity.
DeAnna’s new role ensures that the perspectives of people with IDD—and the organizations that serve them—are part of Georgia’s statewide conversations about behavioral health reform.
This is a proud moment for Frazer Center, and an exciting one for Georgia. Congratulations, DeAnna!