Clarence Jordan, MBA

Clarence Jordan, MBA, was the Vice President of Wellness & Recovery at Beacon HealthOptions (Anthem), responsible for Beacon’s national development and implementation of the use of peers in treatment and recovery. He received the 2014 Peer Specialist of the Year Award from the National Council for Behavioral Health. This prestigious award recognizes a person with a lived experience of mental illness who uses his or her strengths to help peers on their road to recovery.  Clarence’s passion to help those struggling with the challenges of mental illness arose from his own experiences. As a man of color, a 15-year veteran of the US Navy, and a person in recovery since 1998, Jordan has dealt with the obstacles these populations face in accessing appropriate treatment. Foremost are the dual challenges of ignorance and cultural stigma: “When I served in the Navy, my ‘image’ of a person with mental illness was certainly not me. I believe I share this experience with thousands of military service members who could benefit from VA services but may not be getting them. The same holds true for communities of color, where social isolation and discrimination are no strangers.”