Cari Guthrie Cho

Ms. Cho is a licensed social worker who has been working in community mental health for over 25 years. She started her career working on the inpatient psychiatric unit at Montgomery General Hospital (now Medstar Montgomery) and then at Threshold Services residential rehabilitation program. She received her MSW from the University of Maryland in 1995 and worked for Johns Hopkins Bayview Mental Health Capitation Program Creative Alternatives in Baltimore for 3 years. She returned to Threshold Services in 1997 where she served as a Program Director, Rehabilitation Director and Clinic Director as well as the Chief Operating Officer. In 2012, Threshold Services merged with St. Luke’s House and became Cornerstone Montgomery. Cornerstone Montgomery is the largest provider of mental health services in Montgomery County serving over 2400 people. In 2012, Ms. Cho became president and CEO of Cornerstone Montgomery.

Ms. Cho has been actively involved in implementing evidence based practices, including Family Psychoeducation, Integrated Treatment for Co-occurring Disorders, Motivational Interviewing, Illness Management and Recovery, Supported Employment, Stages of Change, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Nonviolent Crisis Intervention. She facilitates training and consulting on these topics in Maryland and DC.

In 2015, she served on the Montgomery County Mental Health Court Task Force. Ms. Cho is a member and serves on the board of Bethesda Chevy Chase Rotary. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Community Behavioral Health Association of Maryland and the National Council for Behavioral Health. Ms. Cho is a graduate member of the Leadership Montgomery Core Class of 2016 and in 2015-16 she was a member of the Vistage Executive Group. In 2016 Ms. Cho was one of 7 nonprofit leaders recognized by NonProfitPRO for her outstanding leadership, passion for the cause and paving the way for others to follow. Under her leadership and vision, Cornerstone Montgomery’s budget has grown 30%, from $18 million to over $23 million.