Journey Mental Health Center (Journey) announced today that Sarah Valencia has been named the new President & Chief Executive Officer. She will begin her role on January 22.
Valencia brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across health and human services in Wisconsin, including senior roles in behavioral health, population health, and state government. She most recently served as Assistant Deputy Secretary at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, where she provided executive leadership across multiple divisions and large-scale public health and Medicaid systems. She also brings experience from leadership roles at Meriter and Access Community Health Centers, where she developed innovative care models and led teams across Dane County. Fluent in Spanish and deeply rooted in the Madison area, Valencia brings both the systems expertise and community connections needed to lead Journey through these challenging times.
Journey reaches more than 50,000 people annually through direct services, crisis support, and school-based screenings, including over 40,000 crisis calls each year. Like many nonprofits across Wisconsin, Journey faces funding challenges as existing behavioral health systems fail to cover the full cost of care. Valencia's experience navigating state budgets and Medicaid systems positions her to lead Journey through this challenge.
"Sarah brings the strategic leadership, deep systems knowledge, and strong values alignment that Journey needs at this pivotal moment," said Heidi Pankoke, chair of the Journey Mental Health Center Board of Directors. "Her experience navigating complex funding environments, commitment to equity, and her collaborative leadership style position her well to lead Journey into its next chapter of impact and sustainability."
Journey Mental Health Center, founded in 1948, is Dane County's largest nonprofit behavioral health provider. The organization operates a 24/7 crisis line, provides school-based mental health services in 10 local school districts, supports individuals living with severe mental illness, offers culturally relevant services for Spanish-speaking and BIPOC communities, and delivers outpatient therapy and prescribing services for mental health and substance use recovery. Nearly ninety percent of people in ongoing programs rely on Medicaid and Medicare or have no insurance at all.
As CEO, Valencia will lead organizational strategy, operations, and community partnerships to ensure that every person in the community who needs mental health care can access it. Her experience navigating complex systems and her commitment to equity position her well to advance Journey's mission of empowering people and overcoming barriers to care.
"I am incredibly excited and honored to serve as the next President and CEO of Journey Mental Health Center," said Sarah Valencia. "Journey plays a critical role in our community, and I am eager to lead alongside a talented team to strengthen services, expand impact, and continue to ensure accessible, high-quality mental health care."
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