The Idaho Behavioral Health Council was established in 2020 by all three branches of government to support collaboration among state government, local governments, and community partners. The IBHC is charged with developing a statewide strategic plan to inventory, audit, assess, and materially improve Idaho’s behavioral health system to the benefit of all Idahoans.
Documents Establishing the Idaho Behavioral Health Council
● Senate Concurrent Resolution 126
● Certified Court Proclamation – Behavioral Health Initiative
Members
The Council shall consist of fourteen (14) members as follows:
*Serves as co-chairs of the council
Ex-Officio Members
- Sara Omundson – *Administrative Director of the State Courts
- Jared Larsen – * Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Chief for Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
- Josh Tewalt – Director of the Idaho Department of Correction
- Ashley Dowell – Director of the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections
- Christine Starr, Executive Director of the Commission of Pardons and Parole
Members appointed by the Governor
- Debbie Critchfield – Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Brent Mendenhall – Madison County Commissioner
- Stewart Wilder – Member of the public
Members appointed by the Chief Justice
- Judge Gene Petty – Idaho Third Judicial District Judge, Canyon County Mental Health Court
- Dave Jeppesen – Member of the public
Legislators
- Chenele Dixon – District 24 Representative (Kimberly)
- Brooke Green – District 18 Representative (Boise)
- Doug Ricks – District 34 Senator (Rexburg)
- Ali Rabe – District 17 Senator (Boise)
IBHC Council Member Biographies
Sara Omundson
Sara B. Omundson was appointed as the Administrative Director of Courts for Idaho in July 2016. Working for the justices of the Supreme Court, she leads the organization responsible for providing statewide administrative services to the unified state courts of Idaho. Sara has led administration through a transition to a statewide electronic court system, the implementation of remote court proceedings, and the on-going development of quality assurance programs for treatment courts and data. In addition, Sara has a focus on improving the behavioral health systems in the state and serves as Co-Chair of the Idaho Behavioral Health Council, in which all three branches of government work together to develop a statewide, time-bound action plan for ensuring that Idahoans receive the help they need, when they need it. Sara also serves as a member of the Idaho Criminal Justice Commission and on the advisory board of Insight Idaho, a statewide project to develop and utilize data for policy development.
Prior to working for the Idaho Supreme Court, Sara practiced as a public defender for many years and had been appointed as Idaho’s State Appellate Public Defender by Gov. Otter in January 2012, as the Chair of the Idaho Criminal Justice Commission in June 2013, and as a member of the newly created State Public Defense Commission in 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Boise State University, and a Juris Doctor (cum laude; executive editor, law review) from the University of Idaho College of Law.
Sara spends her free time exploring Idaho’s canyons and mountains in her Jeep, staying well outside of cellphone service and perpetually trying to catch a fish.
Jared Larsen
Jared Larsen is the legislative and regulatory affairs chief at DHW where he coordinates public policy formation and legislative outreach. Larsen received a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from Brigham Young University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho College of Law. Prior to joining DHW, for five and a half years he was counsel and policy advisor to Idaho Gov. Brad Little. His policy areas included criminal justice, public safety, military affairs, drug policy, public defense, behavioral health, and administrative procedure. Previously, he served as law clerk for Judge Michael P. Tribe and worked on several state and national electoral campaigns throughout the country. Larsen is a seventh generation Idahoan from the Mini-Cassia area.
Debbie Critchfield
Debbie Critchfield was elected Superintendent of Public Instruction in November 2022 and was sworn in on January 2, 2023. Previously, she served for seven years on the Idaho State Board of Education and was president during her final two years. Debbie was co-chair of Governor Brad Little’s Education Task Force in 2019 and committee chair for Governor Butch Otter’s Higher Education Task Force in 2017. She chaired the Re-Open Idaho Schools Committee in 2020 and was a member of the Governor’s K-12 Council. Debbie was an elected school board member in Cassia County for ten years, including five as board chair, and was on the executive committee of the Idaho School Boards Association. She is a former local library trustee and Oakley Valley Arts Council president. She worked as the public information officer for Cassia School District for nine years, stepping down before her election as state superintendent. She also served as a substitute teacher for six years. Debbie graduated from BYU with a degree in political science. Raised in a military family, she lived in several states prior to moving to Idaho more than 30 years ago. She is the oldest of five siblings. A fourth-generation Idaho farm family, Debbie and her husband Dave live in Oakley, where they raised their four children. They have three grandsons.
Commissioner Brent Mendenhall
Brent Mendenhall currently serves as a County Commissioner and is the Vice Chair of the Madison County Board of Commissioners. He is also on the Eastern Idaho Public Health Board and is a trustee on the Executive Board of the Idaho Association of District Boards of Health. Mr. Mendenhall served on the Madison School District 321 board of trustees for 12 years.
Stewart Wilder
Mr. Wilder is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. in Geology. After 20 years working in the mining industry in gold and silver in Idaho and iron ore mining in Minnesota and Newfoundland, the Wilders relocated to Boise in 2002.
An owner and President of Interim HealthCare of Idaho providing Senior Care and Medical Staffing, Mr. Wilder also serves as president of LiveWilder Foundation for youth suicide prevention, the Idaho Suicide Prevention Coalition and past Co-Chair of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Action Collective as a mental health advocate including public policy efforts. Mr. Wilder also serves as President of the Sawtooth Interpretive and Historical Association in Stanley, Idaho.
Mr. Wilder’s passion is people and living a good life for all.
Judge Gene Petty
Judge Gene A. Petty was appointed as a district judge in Idaho’s Third Judicial District by Governor Otter in April 2017 and he was re-elected in 2018 and 2022. He serves as the presiding judge for the Canyon County Mental Health Court. Judge Petty was appointed by former Chief Justice Roger Burdick and current Chief Justice Richard Bevan to serve on the Idaho Behavioral Health Council. He co-chairs the Criminal Justice Workgroup and has helped implement several of the Council’s Strategic Action Plan recommendations. He participated in the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative and used its curriculum to train Idaho’s judges on behavioral health in partnership with Dr. Nicole Fox. Prior to serving on the bench, he worked in the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Judge Petty was previously an adjunct professor at Concordia University School of Law. He has served as Chair of the Idaho Academy of Leadership for Lawyers and as Chair of the Idaho State Bar’s Professionalism and Ethics Section. Judge Petty was given the Service Award from the Idaho State Bar in 2018. He received his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Dave Jeppesen
Prior to his retirement in January 2024, Dave Jeppesen was appointed in January 2019 by Governor Little to be the Director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, a cabinet position in the Governor’s administration. He was also previously a Co-Chair for the Idaho Behavioral Health Council. A native of Burley and Ammon ID, he earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from ISU. He also holds a Masters of Applied Statistics degree from The Ohio State University. After college graduation, he worked at Capital One in Richmond Virginia where he eventually became the Deputy Chief Risk Officer. He then moved to Barclays Bank’s United Kingdom Retail Bank in London as the Chief Marketing Officer. In 2009, the Jeppesen’s moved back to Eagle, Idaho, and David started a successful international bank consulting business. Starting in 2012, he worked at Blue Cross of Idaho where he was the Chief Marketing Officer. Dave is married with four children and three grandchildren.
Ali Rabe
Ali is the Executive Director at Jesse Tree, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing eviction and homelessness in the Treasure Valley. Prior to joining Jesse Tree, Ali worked with local governments and service providers in their efforts to prevent and end homelessness in the Bay Area. She spent the early years of her legal career supporting refugees and other displaced populations around the world. Her experiences there led to her passion to prevent homelessness from happening to people and communities. Ali is a proud alumnus of The College of Idaho and holds a J.D. from William & Mary Law School. She is the State Senator for District 16.