Senior Consultant & Deputy Director-- Continuum of Care/Office of Mental Health
US Department of Veterans Affairs
JAY L. COHEN, PhD has proudly served with the Department of Veterans Affairs since 2006, where he has a passion for serving Veterans and their families, caregivers, and loved ones. In his current position as Senior Consultant and Deputy Director for the Continuum of Care within the Office of Mental Health (OMH), Dr. Cohen is responsible for supporting OMH in the provision and delivery of governance, expertise, leadership, and oversight. Broad responsibilities include developing and monitoring the annual Continuum of Care budget, human capital management and actions, strategic planning and compliance. His national portfolio includes communication with healthcare professionals working for VA in the field, providing consultation on professional issues affecting general mental health care throughout the enterprise, and ensuring that they function collaboratively as a team focused on the mission to deliver effective care. Previously, as Chief of Staff for the Office of Mental Health & Suicide Prevention (OMHSP), Dr. Cohen spearheaded an interdisciplinary and cross-office team of experts to develop and coordinate policy and provide field and national implementation expertise on all things mental health and suicide prevention. He was responsible for the administrative management and business operations of the Office, including oversight and congressional reporting on a $250 million plus budget, developing and implementing standard work processes and procedures for strategic action planning, budget and resource management, and office modernization.
Prior to that, Dr. Cohen worked within OMH as a Quality Improvement and Implementation Consultant, engaging national, regional, and facility mental health leaders on process improvement efforts and activities to ensure the provision of state of the art, recovery-oriented mental health services to Veterans. In addition to his executive roles in OMH, Dr. Cohen has served in significant leadership roles in the field, including Interim Chief Mental Health Officer for VHA Midwest Healthcare Network (VISN 23) and Interim Assistant Medical Center Director for the Birmingham VA Healthcare System. He previously served as Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Mental Health at the Battle Creek (MI) VA Medical Center, shepherding the health care system through significant transformation efforts, building relationships with community partners and stakeholders while improving and expanding care. Dr. Cohen began his VA career as a staff psychologist and Local Recovery Coordinator at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit, MI. Dr. Cohen earned his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Wayne State University in 2006, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical health psychology.
Dr. Cohen is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and has served on the VA ACHE Regent’s Advisory Council (RAC) for the past three (3) years, including his current role as chair of the VA ACHE RAC Communications Committee. Dr. Cohen is a Fellow of the Partnership for Public Service Excellence in Government (PPS-EIG), and is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute (FEI) as well as the VA Healthcare Leadership Development Program (HCLDP). He is a recipient of American Psychological Association (APA) Division 18 VA Section’s “Outstanding Administrator” Award as well as the “Award for Outstanding Contributions in Psychosocial Rehabilitation.” He has published more than 20 scholarly articles in academic and professional journals and is a licensed clinical psychologist in the State of Michigan. Dr. Cohen loves to watch and play sports, sing karaoke, and cite movie quotes. He can be reached at: jay.cohen@va.gov or visit: www.linkedin.com/in/jay-cohen-a4a90b103
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
10:45am - 11:45am CT