ValueOptions Names Lori Leotta to Lead Client Services for New Jersey Members

ROSELAND, N.J., March 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ValueOptions^®, Inc., a health improvement company specializing in mental and emotional wellbeing and recovery, today announced that Lori Leotta, LCSW will join the company to support its contract with Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc. (Horizon), New Jersey's oldest and largest health insurance company, and play a critical role in meeting the behavioral health care needs of the New Jersey health plan's nearly 3.6 million members. Leotta will serve as Vice President of Horizon Client Services for ValueOptions beginning April 1, 2014.

ValueOptions was awarded the contract to manage behavioral health services for Horizon beginning July 1, 2014.

Since 2010, Leotta served as Director of Clinical Initiatives for Horizon. As a senior clinical team member of Horizon, Leotta was responsible for overseeing Horizon's preventative health, behavioral health and employee wellness initiatives, and managed vendor and provider relationships in support of each. As the company's behavioral health lead, Leotta provided key direction of medical home development, utilization management and cost strategy development.

"With her extensive clinical background and management experience, Lori offers practical know-how and responsive leadership for an ever-evolving industry," said Jason Feuerman, ValueOptions Senior Vice President and President, Public Sector and Health Plan Division. "Given the integral part she played during ValueOptions' implementation of the Horizon business, Lori was the natural choice to unite the two health care leaders in our common goal of providing accessible, high-quality services for millions in New Jersey." 

Prior to her work with Horizon, Leotta held a variety of leadership roles within the behavioral health care industry. She served as Chief Clinical Officer of Magellan Health Services' Care Management Center, where she oversaw the performance of all clinical positions and was responsible for managing clinical policies, procedures and best practices. Prior to that, she served as CIGNA Behavioral Health's Regional Care Center Director, where she directed the overall clinical and fiscal operations in support of mental health and substance abuse services in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Leotta earned her Master of Social Work from The Ohio State University. Her community service involvement includes past work with the American Diabetes Association, and she is currently on the Executive Leadership Board of the American Heart Association.

"I am excited to join a market leader in the behavioral health care sector," said Leotta. "Having worked closely with the ValueOptions' operations and clinical teams throughout the implementation of the contract, I know I will be able to hit the ground running to continue a smooth transition for Horizon members and providers."

About ValueOptions^®
ValueOptions is a health improvement company that serves more than 32 million individuals. On behalf of employers, health plans and government agencies, we manage innovative programs and solutions that directly address the challenges our health care system faces today. A national leader in the fields of mental and emotional wellbeing, recovery and resilience, employee assistance, and wellness, ValueOptions helps people make the difficult life changes needed to be healthier and more productive. With offices nationwide and a network of more than 130,000 provider locations, ValueOptions helps people take important steps in the right direction. We help them live their lives to the fullest potential. Visit www.valueoptions.com for more information.

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SOURCE ValueOptions