John Drebinger III joins CBHA after serving extensively as an advocate for behavioral health reform in LA County (LAC). John worked in partnership with the LAC Department of Mental Health, LAC Department of Child and Family Services, LAC Youth Commission, UCLA, City of Long Beach, and the philanthropic sector to help connect the voices of community members with critical policy initiatives. John has a track record of convening cross-sector partners to solve the systemic challenges facing our behavioral health systems. 

Before his time as a behavioral health advocate, John served as a Foster America Fellow. He worked to bring reform and prevention programs to child welfare systems through human centered design, community organizing, and policy reform. During his time as a Fellow, John worked closely with many of the behavioral health providers CBHA represents, finding new ways to ensure that families impacted by the child welfare system had access to quality behavioral health services. He was also selected as an IDEO CoLab fellow in recognition of his expertise in the intersection of media, storytelling, and policy reform. As a passionate and creative advocate for mental health and the social issues that intersect with it, John prioritizes connecting the real experiences of Californians with the policymakers and agencies that serve them.