Stephen Vernon
Therapists for SP / PNHP
Albany, California
Stephen Adair Vernon, MA, along with an extensive career in non-profit public Mental Health services has been in private practice for nearly 40 years. Stephen is a co-founder of Therapists for Single Payer, a board member of Healthy California Now—the statewide coalition of organizations for Single Payer and is co-chair of PNHP’s Bay Area and vice-chair of the State steering committees.
He has been in Mental Health and Substance Use services since before they were given the the unfortunate moniker of “behavioral health”. In the early 70’s he helped develop the Drug Education Center— Michigan’s pioneer community based drug and mental health crisis center. After moving to California he began work at the Fort Help Methadone Maintenance Agency, eventually becoming executive director. There, he was very active in the nascent harm-reduction policy debate and helped develop one of the first client-consumer advocacy groups, successfully lobbying the state legislature and regulatory bodies.
Always involved in policy development, he moved on to become HIV-Mental Health Director for the California Pacific Medical Center, then to Behavioral Health Director for Family Service of San Francisco where he oversaw multiple programming for all ages. He has served on the executive committees of San Francisco’s Mental Health and HIV Contractors Associations.
Stephen has presented before a wide variety of professional conferences , including Therapists and Single Payer, 8th National AIDS conference, the 2nd World Conference on Family Law and the 2nd National Conference on Addictions and Spirituality. He has been a graduate professor and supervisor and a two term board member for the California chapter of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
Married 38 years, his wife, Dee Stump, is a Jungian Analyst. Their daughter, Brigette, a PsyD, is Director of a college counseling program. Their son, Logan, works in the community and is a board member of the Unitarian Universalist Church. He is very proud and grateful of/for them all. (2023)