Tamara Hunter

Chief Program Officer

Tamara Hunter is the Chief Program Officer of Mental Health Connections Inc. She is the founding staff member of Connections House (formerly Putnam Clubhouse), becoming a Generalist in 2008 when the Clubhouse opened, and later serving as Program Director. Tamara served as the Executive Director of Mental Health Connections from 2017-2024, and recently took on the inaugural Chief Program Officer role.  In addition to being instrumental in starting Putnam Clubhouse, Tamara also helped open another Clubhouse, The Val Ogden Center in Vancouver, Washington. Tamara serves as a Faculty Member of Clubhouse International, an international organization that has helped start, grow, and accredit over 330 Clubhouses in over 30 countries. She previously served as a full-time minister and studied Business Administration at BCTI in Washington State. After graduating, she worked for the Washington Academy of Family Physicians, initiating programs such as "Tar Wars," a statewide school-based smoking cessation program, as well as facilitating mental health and older adult initiatives and becoming the Managing Editor of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians Newsletter. In 2005, Tamara decided to devote her professional career to the field of mental health after her 21-year-old nephew, diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, ended his life. Her experience includes working as a case manager and mental health advocate in the Washington State Department of Corrections and Behavioral Health Court. Her work in the criminal justice system led her to the Clubhouse Model, one of the most effective treatment programs that supports individuals living with serious mental illness in achieving recovery. Tamara also serves as President of the Board of Bethesda Faith and Wellness Center in Antioch, CA.