Local Ellie Mental Health Franchise Hires Clinic Director, Prepares for Opening of Bradenton Office

February 22, 2023 – Sarasota

In advance of the opening of its first area location, Ellie Mental Health – a national franchise company seeking to lower barriers to mental healthcare and destigmatize mental illness – has hired Clinic Director Barbara Byrne, L.C.S.W. In this role, she will lead the Bradenton office, with plans to hire up to 12 therapists in the next year. Byrne will also manage community relationships – through strategic collaborations, offering seminars, and providing other resources – to empower businesses and nonprofits to address issues that arise for team members with regard to mental health.

Byrne, a licensed psychotherapist, has recently moved here from Miami, Fla., bringing to Ellie 25 years of experience and proven knowledge of successful, results-driven management, positive leadership, and long-range planning. Previous positions include Program Director for Evidence Based Associates; Mindfulness Consultant  for Mindful Way Solutions; and School Counselor for Miami Country Day School.

She has worked in nonprofit and for-profit organizations as well as government agencies in a variety of settings. She has led workshops and trainings on topics including Mental Health First Aid, Mindfulness for Social Service Providers, Mindfulness for Stress Management for Educators, and Stress Management for the Holidays, among many others. She also developed a Social-Emotional Skills curriculum for students in grades 7-9.

Byrne earned her Bachelor of Science from Towson University, her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Maryland, and is currently enrolled in the MBCT Teacher Certification Program at the Centre for Mindfulness Studies.

The local franchise partners are entrepreneur, former nonprofit executive and seminar leader Gray Videnka; community leader and Women’s Resource Center President & CEO, Ashley Brown; and Franchise Coach, author and Manatee Chamber board chair emeritus Rick Bisio.

The first location will open at the end of March in the Tanglewood Professional Center in Bradenton (5801 21st Ave. W.); hiring is already well underway for that location. The goal is to open three Ellie Mental Health locations in Sarasota-Manatee by 2025.

“The mental health industry is full of barriers; the company has made it its goal to fill the gap and find innovative ways to break down these barriers for the communities it serves,” said Gray Videnka. “With Barbara’s significant experience in clinical supervision as well as her expertise in quality assurance, data analysis and program evaluation, we are looking forward to offering a mental health option that is accessible and effective for community members in need.”

For more about Ellie Mental Health, visit elliementalhealth.com.