Luanne Southern

Luanne Southern is currently a Senior Director at Casey Family Programs, a national operating foundation focused on reducing the number of children in foster care. She has over 30 years of leadership experience in behavioral health care, with a specialization in policies and services that address the mental health needs of children, youth and families. Southern serves on the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families, and was a past appointee to the Texas Protect Our Kids Commission. She also served as Deputy Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services from 2007-2013. She received the Stella Mullins Champion for Children’s Mental Health award for her local, state and national work on behalf of children and families in 2013. Prior to that, Southern worked in the Washington DC area as a national advocate and consultant focused on children’s behavioral health, health care, child welfare and juvenile justice public policy, programs and services. Southern was a social worker at Austin State Hospital from 1984-1988 and served in various roles at Integral Care from 1988-2002 and. She received a MSW from the University of Texas – Austin, and a BSW from Goshen College in Indiana.