Brought to you by the Depression Is Real Coalition, The Down & Up Show is dedicated to the reality of depression. Each week our hosts will talk with some of the world's top experts on depression, as well as people who have been impacted by this illness. The reality of depression is that it is a debilitating and potentially deadly medical condition that affects more than 15 million Americans every year. The other reality of depression is that there is hope.

David L. Shern, Ph.D.

David L. Shern, Ph.D. is the president and CEO of Mental Health America. With more than 30 years of distinguished service in mental health services research and system reform, Dr. Shern is one of the nation's leading mental health experts. During his career, he has helped reengineer mental health care systems in Colorado, New York and Florida as well as participated in several national reform and research demonstration efforts.

Dr. Shern has been the principal or co-principal investigator on research projects funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, among others, with support totaling more than $20 million.

In 2000, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Dr. Shern to the Florida Commission on Mental Health and Substance Abuse. He was elected Chair of the Commission by his fellow Commissioners and spearheaded an effort to develop a new statewide focus on and governance model for behavioral health across all human service agencies and settings.

Dr. Shern has held academic positions at the University of South Florida, State University of New York at Albany, New York University and the University of Colorado. He received his Bachelors of Science, Masters and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder.