David W. Covington, LPC, MBA, RI International CEO & President and Behavioral Health Link Partner. David is a behavioral health innovator, entrepreneur, and story teller. Combined RI and BHL employ nearly 1,800 staff and have offices in ten states and New Zealand, and deliver a full continuum of best practice crisis services, powered by customized software and technology solutions and real-time access to mental health and substance use services, diverting thousands from hospital EDs and justice systems to care in communities throughout the United States. David was a co-lead on the development of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Crisis Now exceptional practice standards in crisis care, and his impact is growing through the consulting, training and crisis immersion experiences of RI and BHL. David is a founder of the international Zero Suicide, Crisis Talk and Hope Inc. Stories initiatives. Prior to RI, David served as a Vice-President for Magellan Health’s Regional Behavioral Health Authority contract with Arizona’s Division of Behavioral Health Services and Medicaid authority.