About Mary Beth
Mary Beth Fessler is a behavioral health executive and consultant with more than a decade of experience across Minnesota’s mental health and substance use disorder systems. Her background includes direct clinical practice, residential and outpatient program leadership, and three years in a C-suite leadership role overseeing clinical and operational strategy across a multi-service behavioral health organization.
Mary Beth has extensive experience developing and stabilizing complex clinical programs, including Intensive Residential Treatment Services (IRTS), and previously directed care coordination and Behavioral Health Home (BHH) services.
Her leadership experience also includes launching and licensing an on-site childcare center designed to support mothers in treatment. Through Heart & Hands Consulting, Mary Beth partners with behavioral health organizations to strengthen clinical programming, explore new service opportunities, and build programs that are clinically sound and operationally sustainable.
Mary Beth Fessler
MA, LADC, LPCC
Organizations often engage Heart & Hands Consulting to:
• Evaluate whether to launch new behavioral health services
• Strengthen or stabilize existing clinical programs
• Navigate complex regulatory or funding environments
• Design programs that balance clinical integrity with operational sustainability
Typical Engagements
Consulting Services
Behavioral Health Strategy
• Service line feasibility and strategic planning
• Behavioral health program design and expansion
• Market and ecosystem analysis
Program Development
• Residential and outpatient program design
• Gambling treatment program development
• Integration of emerging services such as TMS
Clinical & Operational Strategy
• Program stabilization and troubleshooting
• Diagnostic consultation for clinical teams
• Staffing models and operational structure
Regulatory & System Navigation
• Minnesota DHS licensing frameworks (including 245G and related services)
• County relationships and service system navigation
• Compliance and policy review
Selected Experience
• Six years working within Intensive Residential Treatment Services (IRTS) programming
• Behavioral Health Home (BHH) and care coordination system experience
• Gender-responsive and family-centered treatment programming
• Residential and outpatient substance use disorder treatment
• Launch and licensing of a childcare center within a treatment program
• Leadership across multi-service behavioral health organizations
Helping behavioral health organizations build and strengthen programs that are clinically sound, operationally sustainable, and aligned with regulatory systems.
Deep experience navigating Minnesota’s mental health and substance use disorder systems, including DHS licensing frameworks, county partnerships, and complex service environment
Experience the difference
ALI, dIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, GUILD
"Working with Mary Beth is collaborative, informative and honestly easy. Mary Beth is incredibly intelligent, but relatable and patient. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience, and treats every interaction and individual with dignity. I also appreciate Mary Beth’s communication and follow-through, she is extremely detail-oriented and accountable. Anything she does will have a lasting impact. I could recommend her more!"
Contracting Contact Information -
heartandhandsmn@outlook.com | (763) 370-0150 | Serving the Twin Cities + Northern Minnesota