Caren Howard (she/her) is a compassionate advocate who understands the challenges of ensuring mind, body and spirit are always cared for together in the U.S. health care system. Ms. Howard is a leading national advocate for a community-based non-profit organization and has helped pass laws to grow access to both clinical and non-clinical mental health and substance use services. She has over a decade of experience in government affairs and advocacy and is committed to mental health issues because of her personal experience noticing the contrasting ease and difficulty of getting treatment for a sprained ankle versus an invisible wound.

Howard earned a B.A. in Political Science at Spelman College, the nation’s top ranked Historically Black College. She served as Class President during her senior year in high school, still holds high school records for shot put and discuss throwing, and continues her passion playing volleyball at the beach today. She created her first town petition one summer home from college to save a beloved small coffee and gourmet foods store, Bun Penny, from closing down due to competition from corporate coffee chains like Starbucks, a brand which today underpays and prevents unionizing of employees while its CEO amasses hundreds of millions in pay. She currently is an advisor to the Florida Mental Health Advocacy Coalition and serves on the South Florida Spelman College Alumna Chapter Board of Directors, and the United Way Palm Beach County Women’s Committee.