Ann Leinfelder Grove Retiring from Wellpoint Care Network

Milwaukee, Wis., October 2, 2024 – Ann Leinfelder Grove, longtime President and CEO of Wellpoint Care Network (Wellpoint Care) has announced her 2025 retirement. Leinfelder Grove has dedicated more than 30 years to the organization in various roles. Her tenure is marked by her innovation with and integration of Trauma Informed Care, advancing a strategic vision to enhance Wellpoint Care’s partnerships in the community, and a commitment to a culture of equity and inclusion.

“Ann’s transformative leadership of Wellpoint Care has had an immeasurable impact on countless employees, children and families throughout Milwaukee and Wisconsin,” said James Madlom, Chair of Wellpoint Care Network’s Board of Directors. “The tremendous impact of the organization, the evolution of services and approach, and the organization’s strategic plan for the future will position the next President and CEO to continue to expand the great work of Wellpoint Care in our community.”

Wellpoint Care is a community-facing human services organization based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a national leader in recognizing and addressing the impact of trauma, Wellpoint Care has been caring for children for nearly 175 years. The organization’s more than 340 committed, hardworking employees serve 6,500 people every day.  Wellpoint Care provides:

• Mental health services in outpatient, telehealth, school-based and community settings;
• Child and family well-being support and resources for Milwaukee County; and
• Training and consultation services for individuals, organizations and communities.

Wellpoint Care serves 33 Wisconsin counties and has 55 mental health locations throughout southeastern Wisconsin.

As President and CEO since 2018, Leinfelder Grove has made significant, nationally recognized contributions to the community, including through Wellpoint Care’s approach to Trauma Informed Care, its five pillars of stability, and its commitment to equity and inclusion.

Trauma Informed Care and its Seven Essential Ingredients
Under Leinfelder Grove’s leadership, Wellpoint Care has been at the forefront of the Trauma Informed Care (TIC) movement for 15 years. At the core of Wellpoint Care’s TIC approach are the Seven Essential Ingredients of Trauma Informed Care (7ei), which Wellpoint Care applies to all clients and activities across all services. The impact of using 7ei was so clear in Wellpoint Care’s work that, under Leinfelder Grove’s leadership, the organization began to train and provide consultation using the model. To date, more than 80,000 people have learned how to leverage Wellpoint Care’s 7ei framework.

“Ann is a gift to the entire community,” said Dr. Bruce Perry, Principal of the Neurosequential Network, a Professor (Adjunct) at the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria Australia, New York Times best-selling author and colleague and mentor to Wellpoint Care Network. “For years, she has modeled servant leadership within her organization and throughout her community partnerships. The children, families and communities in Wisconsin have all benefited from her generous, wise and compassionate guidance. In both individual mentorship and through persistent modeling, she has helped identify, nurture and support the next generations of leaders in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin. Her positive impact will endure long after she moves to new adventures in her personal and professional life.”

Five Pillars of Stability
The Five Pillars of Stability is Wellpoint Care’s framework for describing what it takes for an individual to thrive. The pillars include employment and economic stability, education, housing, health and caring connections. Leinfelder Grove’s commitment to these social determinants of health as the lens through which individuals and families can thrive has transformed the way Wellpoint Care provides care, emphasizing prevention and reduction of the need for significant intervention.

“Ann’s commitment to addressing the cycle of adversity is changing lives,” said Madlom. “When these five pillars of stability are addressed and cared for, families, friends and the broader community thrives.”

Equity and Inclusion
Leinfelder Grove knows that you cannot address trauma without also addressing equity. Under her leadership, Wellpoint Care has not only continued its commitment to delivering high-quality, accessible services, but to remedying inequities in our systems and communities. Today, thanks to Leinfelder Grove’s commitment, Wellpoint Care’s frontline social workers now largely mirror the demographics of those they serve.

Injustices are at the center of the adversity and trauma of those served by Wellpoint Care. In order to give them the building blocks to thrive, Leinfelder Grove knows Wellpoint Care needs to create opportunities, starting with equal access to support systems and resources and correcting the inequities baked into the systems intended to provide care and healing.

National Recognition
In addition to being known for its approach to Trauma Informed Care, under Leinfelder Grove’s leadership, Wellpoint Care has raised its national profile thanks to grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Wellpoint Care received a grant from SAMHSA to fund Project Thrive: a partnership between Wellpoint, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM) and the Medical College of Wisconsin to provide increased access to evidence-based, trauma-informed assessment and treatment for children and families in Milwaukee’s central city.

Additionally, SAMHSA awarded a grant for Wellpoint Care to become a Certified Community  Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) to serve youth and adults struggling with mental health and substance abuse. Today, Wellpoint Care Network is one of only two CCBHC-certified providers in the state.

“The time is right to pass the baton to the next leader,” said Leinfelder Grove. “This organization is primed for continued impact and innovation and I’m confident its role in the lives of countless Wisconsin individuals and families will continue to grow, transforming families and the Wisconsin community.”

The Wellpoint Care Network Board of Directors has formed a search committee and has engaged Spano Pratt for a national search for the organization’s next leader. The search is expected to launch in early October.

About Wellpoint Care Network
Wellpoint Care Network is a community-facing human services organization based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a national leader in recognizing and addressing the impact of trauma, Wellpoint Care has been caring for children for more than 170 years. Championing families, Wellpoint Care offers a comprehensive array of prevention, intervention and crisis resources to facilitate equity, learning, healing and wellness by restoring the connections that help children and families thrive. Learn more at https://wellpointcare.org/.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.