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SYNERGY HEALTH CONSULTING

Expanding Access. Connecting Sectors. Building Hope.

our services

At SYNERGY HEALTH CONSULTING, we work with organizations and communities to strengthen systems and improve outcomes related to overdose prevention, substance use disorders, and chronic pain. Our clients include multidisciplinary teams across public health, medical, mental and behavioral health, substance use treatment, and criminal justice sectors. We specialize in addressing these complex challenges through a blend of clinical expertise, systems thinking, and collaborative planning. Whether supporting a single clinic or guiding county-wide initiatives, we deliver flexible, thoughtful solutions tailored to each context.

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Consultation

Strategic guidance customized to meet your organization’s unique needs and goals.

training

Interactive, custom-designed education covering topics such as workplace wellness, behavioral health, and addiction medicine.

Needs Assessment

Insightful evaluations to inform planning, identify priorities, and guide resource allocation.

strategic planning

Facilitation and project management support to create clear, actionable, and mission-driven roadmaps.

program development

Design and implementation support for effective and sustainable programs aligned with your goals.

process facilitation

Expert facilitation to support collaborative decision-making, planning, and engagement.

leadership coaching

Focused, personalized coaching to build leadership capacity, resilience, and vision.

clinical supervision

Clinical support for medical and behavioral health providers, especially in high-stress, frontline environments.

change management

Hands-on support to help teams and organizations navigate transitions and complex shifts.

Key areas of support

We provide education and training on using medications to treat chronic pain, opioid dependence, and all substance use disorders (SUD). Our training ensures that providers are equipped with the latest evidence-based practices for opioid prescribing and managing substance use disorders. We focus on improving clinicians' understanding of MAT options, including buprenorphine, methadone, and extended-release naltrexone, and how to implement these treatments effectively in primary care, specialty mental health settings, and treatment organizations.

Education & Training: Using Medications to treat substance Use Disorder

Fostering Communication & Collaboration

We help organizations and teams develop the skills to communicate more effectively, supporting different sectors—healthcare, law enforcement, social services, and more— to work together seamlessly. Our goal is to align efforts and create a shared understanding across different professional perspectives.

Culture Change Through Education & Training

Our work is rooted in the belief that culture change is driven by education, training, and capacity-building. Synergy provides tailored educational initiatives that address key challenges, such as addiction, trauma, pain management, and stigma. We offer targeted training programs that help organizations, care teams, and communities understand the complexities of these issues and develop the tools to address them effectively.

Supporting Leaders & Advocating for Change

Leaders are essential for driving culture change and setting the tone for organizational transformation. Synergy works with leaders at all levels to equip them with the skills and strategies needed to champion this work, helping to inspire and sustain change across their organizations and communities.

Strategic Planning & Implementation

Synergy leads county-wide strategic planning efforts for overdose prevention across Oregon. Our approach is to provide tailored support that includes capacity-building, educational resources, and training to ensure successful implementation. We work alongside our partners to identify unique needs and challenges, crafting customized plans that reflect the specific context and priorities of each community or organization.

about us

Bringing together diverse expertise to solve complex problems.

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NADEJDA RAZI ROBERTSON

Managing Director

Doctor of Behavioral Health

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

At SYNERGY HEALTH CONSULTING, we don’t rely on a static team model. Instead, we assemble project-specific teams tailored to the unique needs and goals of each client. This allows us to approach challenges from multiple perspectives and deliver solutions that are comprehensive, evidence-based, and efficient.

Our collective expertise spans addiction medicine, pain science, behavioral health, criminal justice, equity and inclusion, workplace wellness, neurobiology, project evaluation, implementation science, strategic planning, project management, and leadership coaching.

I am honored to collaborate with such a talented group of passionate and committed content experts.

~ Nadejda

Meet the Team

Cross-Sector & Clinical Consultants

Amanda Singh Bans, LCSW, is the founder of Resonance LLC. She specializes in trauma-informed care and fostering psychological safety, with a focus on racial and intersectional identity, especially for multiracial and marginalized communities.

Karen Cellarius, MPA, PSU Senior Research Associate, iLab Director, and systems-change expert specializing in behavioral health, evaluation, and statewide program leadership.

Elissa Denton, LCSW, is a clinician, coach, and consultant who helps individuals and organizations transform through mindset shifts, leadership development, and resilience support. She specializes in frontline mental health and post-crisis recovery.

Jeremy Hubbard, MSCJ, CADC-R, founder of Liminal Justice Consulting, specializing in bridging criminal justice and behavioral health systems, integrated substance use treatment, harm reduction, and system collaboration.

Nora Stern, MS, PT is a pain education expert who pioneered OPG pain education tools, advanced opioid safety, and led system-wide initiatives for non-pharmacological pain care.

Denise Acker is an experienced strategy and operations consultant with a strong background in coordination, communications, public health, and multi-disciplinary collaboration.

Meet the Team!

Dr. Andrew Suchocki, OPCA president-elect, family physician specializing in preventive and addiction medicine. He focuses on chronic pain and addiction care, system change in opioid prescribing, and MAT program development in underserved settings.

Nadejda, LCSW, PhD, & Managing Director of Synergy Health Consulting, specializing in healthcare system transformation, leadership coaching and cross-functional team building, and trauma-informed support for workforce burnout.

Carolina Castañeda del Río, MS, & founder of Evolve International, specializes in healthcare system change, DEI, and socially conscious leadership coaching to create equitable environments for underserved communities.

Dr. Miriam Choate, MD, MPH, board-certified family physician specializing in women’s health, pediatric care, and lactation support; fluent in Spanish and committed to culturally responsive, patient-centered care.

Workplace Wellness Consultants

Nathan Olson, MSW, QMHP, CADC III, founder of Brave Heart Therapy, specializes in mental health, addiction, and justice-involved care, organizational trauma-informed practices, recovery models, and community-based solutions.

Meet the Team!

Elizabeth Bunten is a coach, speaker, and educator integrating leadership, somatic embodiment, and trauma-informed practices to support personal and organizational growth.

Lucy Flood, MA, co-founder of Write to Thrive, is a writer, editor, and workshop facilitator with expertise in expressive writing for wellness and productivity.

The Center for Health & Well-Being

Dr. Jim Shames, Board Certified in Family and Addiction Medicine, retired Jackson County Medical Director, Oregon Pain Guidance co-founder & statewide leader in opioid crisis response.

Synergy Founding Members

Simon Shames, Senior Data Strategy Director at OPCA, specializes in EHRs, data analysis, and medical IT, with a public health lens.

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We’re proud to have founded Oregon’s Opioids & Other Drugs, Pain & Addiction Treatment (OPAT) conference, co-authored Oregon’s Opioid Prescribing Guidelines, and developed the Oregon Pain Guidance’s website on opioid prescribing and chronic pain treatment.

Synergy Health Consulting works closely with policymakers and public health leaders. Our partners have included the CDC, Boston Medical Center, Oregon Health Authority, OHSU, and the University of Washington.