Dr. Ameena Kemavor, Vice President, Advocacy and Engagement
Dr. Ameena Kemavor joined the ADAMH team in November 2021. In her role as Vice President, Advocacy and Engagement, Dr. Kemavor is responsible for actively engaging key stakeholders, elevating ADAMH’s thought leadership role and leading ADAMH's efforts in the areas of legislative awareness, advocacy and community engagement.
Dr. Kemavor is an independently Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with a Supervision (L.P.C.C.-S.) Endorsement in the State of Ohio who has been working in the field of mental health and community services for over 25 years. She has a bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in Psychology, a master’s degree (M.S.Ed.) in Clinical Counseling, and a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Counselor Education and Supervision (CES). Dr. Kemavor is also a Certified Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor, a Certified Question Persuade Refer (QPR) Instructor, a Certified Specialist in Anger Management (CSAM), a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), and a trained Collaborative Assessment for Managing Suicidality (CAMS) provider.
Dr. Kemavor began her career in behavioral health and human services providing inpatient psychiatric care to youth and adults and has a wealth of experience working with persons diagnosed with severe and non-severe mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders. Developing her social services and community action skills, she has served as a Family Services Advocate for Head Start programming at Columbus Metropolitan Area Community Action Organization (CMACAO), a Total Case Manager for the Department of Job and Family Services, a Crisis Intervention Clinician at Netcare Access, and an Intake Hospital Liaison at Columbus Area Inc.
Dr. Kemavor expanded her lead in behavioral health services and advanced her career by serving in college student mental health as the Clinical Director of Counseling Services at Columbus State Community College, promoted to later serve as the Senior Director of Student Support and Advocacy with inclusive leadership oversight of Counseling Services, Military and Veteran Services, Disability Services and Student Advocacy. During her higher education tenure, Dr. Kemavor worked diligently in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to secure local, state, and federal funding that innovatively advanced collegial and community awareness of mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Returning to her passion of service in community mental health, Dr. Kemavor recently led a vibrant team of professionals as the Clinical Director at a community behavioral health agency in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. In this this role she revitalized, raised the standard of care and established a seamless process of remote Telehealth services for community members, removing multilayered barriers for mental health and substance abuse services in one of the most challenging times in world history.
Dr. Kemavor is an active leader who believes in advocacy and has shown such activism in the counseling profession in the State of Ohio. Among other leadership roles in the Ohio Counseling Association (OCA), she has served as President of the Southeast Ohio Counseling Association (SEOCA); revitalized and served as President of the Central Ohio Counseling Association (COCA); President of the Ohio Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (OAMCD); and is a Charter Member and former President of the Ohio College Counseling Association (OCCA).