Brandon Fernandez received his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Denver, with an emphasis on Health Care Ethics, and was an exchange student at the University of Oxford. Brandon received his Master of Public Health from UCLA, with an emphasis on health policy and management.   

Brandon is the CEO of CRI-Help, Inc., a nonprofit corporation specializing in the treatment of substance use and co-occurring disorders. CRI-Help was founded in 1971, serves over 3,000 patients annually in its detoxification, residential, and outpatient levels of care, and employs approximately 200 full-time employees. CRI-Help spans nine locations across Los Angeles County, including 288 licensed beds and nearly 100 recovery residence beds. CRI-Help's headquarters, The George T. Pfleger Center, is one of the largest DHCS licensed residential treatment centers in California (135 bed capacity).  

Brandon has been featured as an expert panelist for UCLA’s Integrated Substance Abuse Program and regularly lectures at national conferences. He serves as a board member of multiple organizations, UCLA’s Health Policy Management Alumni Association (HPMAA), the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives (CAADPE), a professional association of community-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment agency executives advocating for quality patient care, and the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP). Brandon was a founding member of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Substance Abuse Prevention and Control’s Provider Advisory Committee. 

 Brandon Fernandez has over 15 years of executive management and grant writing experience, working in nonprofits focusing on substance use disorders, mental health treatment, and affordable housing. During his tenure at CRI-Help, Brandon has successfully raised over $25M in grant funding for the organization to expand treatment services in LA County for Medi-Cal eligible adults. Brandon is an avid policy advocate with a desire to increase equity and access to health care services for individuals with substance use disorders.