Consulting for Mission-Driven Leaders
Christina Nicholas, LMSW
Christina Nicholas is a licensed social worker with more than 30 years of professional experience providing mental health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) services for children, adolescents, and adults. She has presented at numerous professional conferences, including community presentations and trainings related to substance misuse and treatment.
Christina served as the Director of Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Services for one of Michigan’s ten pre-paid inpatient health plans (PIHP), Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN). In this role, she managed all publicly funded SUD treatment and prevention services in Oakland County, which included more than thirty substance abuse service agencies.
In addition to managing OCHN ‘s substance use prevention and treatment service network, Christina also oversaw the agency's justice and service access departments. While at OCHN, Christina led the successful program development and implementation of the county’s free distribution of Narcan in response to opioid overdose deaths, as well as launching the RISE (Recovery, Information, Support, and Education) Center.
Most recently, Christina had the position as Senior Access Director - Criminal Justice Systems at Indivior where she informed members of Michigan’s judicial system about the benefits of medications that address complex addiction systems helping people regain control of their health and future.
Earlier in her career, Christina worked at Children’s Village and also for Oakland County’s Public Health Division, where she managed substance services prior to the decision by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to transition to responsibility to OCHN.
Christine Burk is the retired Chief of Staff for Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN). She was recently appointed to serve on the agency’s Board of Directors.
OCHN is the Pre-Paid Inpatient Health Plan that leads a provider service network assisting approximately 30,000 Oakland County residents living with intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental health challenges, and substance use disorders.
Prior to Christine’s role as Chief of Staff, she was Director of Communications for more than a decade, overseeing the organization’s communication, community outreach, crisis and legislative programs.
Christine also served on the Suicide Prevention Task Force and the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan’s (CMHA) State PR workgroup. In 2024, she was named Public Health Administrator of the year by NAMI Michigan.
Early in her career, spanning nearly 40 years, Christine worked on the communications team for Ilitch Enterprises, as well as respected Oakland County-based organizations like Easterseals MORC Michigan and Lighthouse of Oakland County.
Christine Burk, MAC
Strategic Mastery & Proven Outcomes
Strategic Communication
- Mission-driven messaging for stakeholders
- Crisis and brand reputation management
- Stakeholder engagement strategies
Impactful Event Design
- Logistics and resource optimization
- Attendee engagement and journey mapping
- Technical and visual excellence oversight
Strategic Nonprofit Planning
- Mission alignment for large-scale events
- Measurable impact assessment
- Accessible elite resource models