Dr. Kelly Firesheets
Evaluation, Program Design, Grant Writing, Program Management, Applied Research
Dr. Firesheets is the Vice President, Strategy and Partnerships for our O2SL and QRT National partner, Cordata Healthcare Innovations, a technology provider that offers solutions to support care navigation in health care settings, and in the community.
After competing training as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Firesheets entered the field of philanthropic evaluation, where she designed, conducted, and supervised evaluations of grantmaking initiatives and programs. Dr. Firesheets led many public health evaluations, including a multisite evaluation of programs designed of specialty courts and re-entry programs for people with addiction and mental illness, a pay-for-performance initiative aimed at improving retention in addiction treatment agencies, and a 10-year integrated care initiative.
In 2016, Dr. Firesheets took a leadership role in designing a regional initiative to address the opioid epidemic in Greater Cincinnati, building coalitions to guide strategic investments in harm reduction, pre-arrest deflection and improving public health data. She collaborated with Law Enforcement professionals in several jurisdictions to launch and expand Quick Response Teams, working with coalitions to find grant funding, establish an evaluation plan, and create sustainable operations. Dr. Firesheets also worked closely with Public Health Officials to develop a framework to guide Emergency Department interventions for patients who have overdosed, helping create connections to care.
In her role at Cordata, Dr. Firesheets serves as the resident content expert on evaluation, data, and pre-arrest deflection. She is currently supporting multisite evaluation projects funded through BJA, the CDC and SAMHSA, and often assists community partners in identify potential funding opportunities and writing grant proposals.
After competing training as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Firesheets entered the field of philanthropic evaluation, where she designed, conducted, and supervised evaluations of grantmaking initiatives and programs. Dr. Firesheets led many public health evaluations, including a multisite evaluation of programs designed of specialty courts and re-entry programs for people with addiction and mental illness, a pay-for-performance initiative aimed at improving retention in addiction treatment agencies, and a 10-year integrated care initiative.
In 2016, Dr. Firesheets took a leadership role in designing a regional initiative to address the opioid epidemic in Greater Cincinnati, building coalitions to guide strategic investments in harm reduction, pre-arrest deflection and improving public health data. She collaborated with Law Enforcement professionals in several jurisdictions to launch and expand Quick Response Teams, working with coalitions to find grant funding, establish an evaluation plan, and create sustainable operations. Dr. Firesheets also worked closely with Public Health Officials to develop a framework to guide Emergency Department interventions for patients who have overdosed, helping create connections to care.
In her role at Cordata, Dr. Firesheets serves as the resident content expert on evaluation, data, and pre-arrest deflection. She is currently supporting multisite evaluation projects funded through BJA, the CDC and SAMHSA, and often assists community partners in identify potential funding opportunities and writing grant proposals.
Notable Accomplishments
Dr. Firesheets has served in several leadership roles, and has been recognized as an expert in evaluation and applied research, community opioid response, and pre-arrest deflection:- Presenter at the White House National Office of Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit, the first annual Police Treatment and Community Collaborative (PTACC) National Conference, as well as many state and local convenings.
- Invited as a panelist/content expert to consult with the Clinton Foundation/Johns’ Hopkins University on funding strategies for the opioid epidemic.
- Active member of the Police, Treatment and Community Collaborative (PTACC), including the National Leadership Council, the Research Committee, and the 2021 PTACC Forum Planning Committee.
- Presented on topics related to evaluation and philanthropy at the American Evaluation Association, Grantmakers in Health, and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations.
- Recognized as a 2014 Terrance Keenan Fellow by Grantmakers in Health
- Served as Chair of the City of Cincinnati Board of Health
- Dr. Firesheets has led and co-authored many successful grant proposals, including federal, local and state-wide initiatives