ED.D., LCSW

Dr. Shantel Sullivan is the CEO of Bright Path Behavioral Health, where she leads with a commitment to compassionate, evidence-based care for adolescents and their families. A rural Upstate New York native, she studied abroad in London as an undergraduate, focusing on human rights, and later earned her Master’s in Social Work and Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of New England in Portland, Maine.

With more than a decade of experience in residential and outpatient behavioral health services, Shantel has been teaching future social workers since 2016, including as faculty at North Carolina State University, and has served as guest faculty at Guanxi Normal University in Guilin, China.

An active member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and board member for TLC, Shantel is guided by a “people first, human first” leadership philosophy. Her approach emphasizes compassion, self-care, and creating environments where teens, families, and staff feel seen, respected, and supported.

Outside of work, Shantel is most proud of being a mom, loves nature and the mountains, enjoys time with her standard poodle Stanley, and intentionally seeks joy in the little things.