Shanise Weatherbee, M.A., L.P.C.

As Northern's Senior Director of Behavioral Health, Shanise brings more than 15 years of experience in behavioral health leadership, clinical operations, and organizational development. Known for building high-performing teams and strengthening systems of care, she leads with a collaborative and trauma-informed approach rooted in trust, transparency, and empowerment.

Throughout her career, Shanise has focused on advancing clinical excellence while fostering organizational cultures that support both staff and the communities they serve. She is recognized for developing efficient, mission-driven teams and implementing strategic initiatives that improve service delivery, operational effectiveness, and long-term sustainability.

Prior to joining the organization, Shanise served as Deputy Executive Director for The Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice, where she led strategic planning initiatives that strengthened organizational capacity and expanded the center’s impact across the community. She expanded the Community Outreach Team's strategic partnerships from four to twenty, increasing collaboration across the community and supporting the development of the Youth Advisory Board. Her leadership played a key role in stabilizing organizational culture and advancing the creation of a culturally responsive curriculum designed to better meet community needs. Earlier in her career, she served as Director of the Assertive Community Outreach Team, where she played a key role in securing a new funding structure for the program. The implementation of the case rate model proved instrumental in establishing the program’s long-term financial sustainability and continued growth. Within these roles, Shanise’s proudest accomplishment is creating cultures where trauma-impacted people and communities can self-actualize and see tangible evidence of that impact.

Her leadership philosophy is grounded in trauma-informed principles and centered on creating environments where people feel supported, valued, and empowered to thrive. As she shares, “Trauma-informed leadership, to me, is about creating cultures that don’t just avoid harm; they actively promote healing.”

Shanise earned a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Rosemont College. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and EMDR Certified Therapist who is committed to advancing compassionate, person-centered behavioral health services and strengthening the well-being of individuals, teams, and communities.