Lori Cerar

Executive Director

Mrs. Cerar is the mother of two children, one of whom has profound disabilities. She also has a sibling who has experienced a mental health disorder. Mrs. Cerar has worked as the Executive Director of Allies with Families for seven years, and as a family consultant for five years before that.

Mrs. Cerar has been trained in wraparound facilitation, negotiation and mediation, cultural competency, the FFCMH Evaluation Curriculum, Building Systems of Care (with Sheila Pires), and Georgetown University's Leadership Academy. She is also a certified Children's Case Manager. Mrs. Cerar has attended and presented at numerous local, regional, and national conferences.

Karen Greenwell

Project Director
and Newsletter Editor

Karen is the mother of three children, two of whom have been diagnosed with mental illnesses. She has advocated for children with mental health needs and their families at the local, state, and national level for more than nine years.

Karen works for Allies with Families as the IOTI Project Director and Newsletter Editor. She authored the From Hope to Recovery education program and developed the Operation Families Together program. Karen is committed to family and community outreach to focus on family strengths and instill hope for families who struggle with mental illnesses.

Karen has her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Post-Baccalaureate in Elementary Education from the University of Washington.

Tena Beckstrom

Bookkeeper and Office Assistant

Mrs. Beckstrom is the mother of four children, the stepmother of six, and the grandmother of fourteen. Her 23 year old daughter has bipolar disorder, as well as intractable Grand Mal seizures. Her daughter also has limited cognitive abilities, resulting in an IQ of 72.

Mrs. Beckstrom has successfully completed multiple computer, medical insurance, managerial, collections, telephony, and mental health courses, including certification from the State of Utah as a Targeted Case Manager. She has been part of the Utah Governor's Initiative for Transformation to Adult Living for children aging out of foster care, and has presented at several mental health functions locally and nationally.

Mrs. Beckstrom has several years experience working in an office environment, supervising and maintaining bookkeeping duties. She has worked or volunteered for Allies with Families for the past seven years, including as a family advocate and teacher of the Growing Up without Growing Apart curriculum.

Jesse M. Higbee

Education Coordinator

Jesse's top priority as Education Coordinator is the organization and implementation of Allies programs into the community. Her commitment is to ensure that the integrity of the curriculum and support of the facilitators teaching the programs is maintained.

Jesse has a 25 year background in accounting, sales, and marketing. She also brings to the organization her own experiences, fears, and challenges that come from being a single parent, raising a child faced with emotional and mental health challenges. Jesse lives in Murray, Utah, and has 2 children, as well as a nine year old grandson and another little soul on on the way! Her labor of love this last 4 years has been the remodel of her home, which she has done completely by herself — from moving walls to custom tiling. Jesse also enjoys motorcycles, landscape design, and cooking for her family.