Larry West
Biography
Larry West joined the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ) as a project coordinator in January 2023. Larry has a passion for challenging injustice and advocating for marginalized communities, and his experience living and working within these communities brings a unique perspective of those most directly impacted by social systems. Prior to arriving at the CBHJ, Larry worked in mental health and substance use recovery, pursuing his social justice passions on both sides of the state. At the Recovery Institute of Southwest Michigan, Larry worked in the specialty treatment courts, Kalamazoo Public Library’s Peer Navigator Program, and on the development of the Kalamazoo Defender’s Village Program. At Integrated of Services of Kalamazoo, Larry worked in crisis response as part of the Opioid Overdose Response Program. He continued his advocacy for marginalized communities working at Easterseals MORC and Hope365 Peer Respite, providing support and advocacy to the unhoused, justice impacted, and those receiving behavioral health services in urban communities. As a volunteer legislative advocate, Larry has championed health and health insurance policy change at the state and national level with the Hemophilia Federation of America and the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan.
Responsibilities
As a project coordinator for the Crisis Response Initiative, Larry coordinates emerging crisis response projects across Michigan. He leads interviews with mobile crisis managers, compiles and presents behavioral health data from dispatch and law enforcement agencies, and promotes best practices among public crisis response systems.
Larry also works on the School of Social Work Peers to Professionals project where he explores pathways to credentialing and degrees for paraprofessionals working in behavioral health settings.
Degrees and Certifications
- Certified Peer Support Specialist
- Certified Peer Recovery Coach
- A.S., Network Engineering (IT), Berks Technical Institute
- A.B.A., Kellogg Community College