Kari Foote-Johnson, LMSW, PMH-C

Perinatal Behavioral Health Consultant

Joined August 2024

Kari Foote-Johnson has spent more than 17 years implementing and improving techniques in therapeutic interventions for children, adults, couples, and families. In her work, she has had the pleasure of working with a multitude of vulnerable populations, most recently with perinatal people and infants up to 12 months in age. Kari also has had the opportunity to lead incoming social work professionals in both community-based and health care settings. Kari is more than excited to join MC3 in her new role as a Perinatal Behavioral Health Consultant, where she will continue to help perinatal people navigate the health care system and receive the care they deserve.

Emily Gutman, LMSW, IMH-E

Perinatal Behavioral Health Consultant

Joined August 2024

Emily Gutman received her MSW from the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work, in addition to earning an endorsement as an Infant Mental Health Specialist through the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. Throughout her education, Emily has researched the parent-child relationship and the effects of intergenerational trauma. Most recently, Emily worked for Zero to Thrive within Michigan Medicine and became a “Strong Roots” Trainer to support other professionals in administering Mom Power groups in their communities. In this work, Emily developed a passion for early intervention/prevention and supporting caregivers during delicate perinatal periods, which she will apply in her new role as a Perinatal Behavioral Health Consultant at MC3.

Denise Ullem, B.A.

Education Coordinator

Joined September 2024

In all she does, Denise Ullem seeks to make connections through authentic storytelling. She brings with her a wealth of experience in writing and marketing strategy, with a more recent focus on project management and event coordination. In her role as Suicide Prevention Training Program Coordinator with the University of Michigan, Denise supported U-M’s Campus Suicide Prevention Grant training efforts by organizing and hosting state-wide conferences and training events to ultimately increase state and community prevention capacity. As Education Coordinator for MC3, Denise will work closely with the team on the development of educational opportunities for providers using her extensive experience in training event management and communications.

Laura Ward, M.S., BCBA

Outreach Specialist

Joined September 2024

Laura Ward is the newest member of the MC3 team, joining as Outreach Specialist. Her experience in behavioral health spans clinical work, outreach, stakeholder engagement, presenting, exhibiting, and more. After receiving a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan and M.S. from Kaplan University, Laura became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2013. With this certification, Laura went on to work in clinical settings and provide in-home services to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout southeast Michigan. In 2021, Laura moved into higher education to teach and develop coursework for a small university in Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Business Psychology at The Chicago School. Laura is very passionate about the work MC3 is doing and thrilled to join the team as Outreach Specialist.