Adrianne Korbakes

Board Member - Iowa

Adrianne Korbakes works in crisis services because she cares deeply about how people are treated during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Her background in behavioral health, trauma-informed care, and community-based response has shown her that the way systems respond in crisis can either deepen harm or create safety and connection. She is guided by a belief that thoughtful systems, built with compassion and respect, can help people feel supported and less alone when it matters most.

She currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at CommUnity Crisis Services, where she helps oversee crisis programs including 988 crisis helplines, mobile crisis response, access centers, and basic needs services. Her work focuses on strengthening the systems behind crisis response so they are practical, coordinated, and responsive in real world conditions. She is especially committed to low barrier, nonjudgmental support and to building approaches that connect behavioral health providers, community partners, and public safety in ways that foster dignity, trust, and collaboration.

Adrianne began her professional path in direct service roles within community mental health, working closely with people navigating crisis, trauma, and systemic barriers. Those early experiences continue to shape how she approaches leadership and decision-making. Over time, she has taken on increasing operational responsibility, supporting mobile crisis teams, correctional diversion programs, integrated health initiatives, and multi-county behavioral health services, often in environments that are growing or evolving.

Her perspective is also shaped by lived experience with mental health, which gives her a personal understanding of how crisis systems are experienced from the inside. This lens reinforces her commitment to trauma-informed and person-centered practices that balance empathy with clarity and structure, and that honor both the needs of people in crisis and the professionals who support them.

Outside of her professional work, Adrianne is the caregiver of young children and is currently in a season of life that calls for flexibility, patience, and a sense of humor. Her former hobbies of hiking, craft beer sampling, and yoga have been replaced by endless laundry, frequent renditions of Baby Shark, and the occasional stolen nap.

Adrianne holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Iowa State University and is grateful to serve on the CIT International Board. She hopes to contribute a perspective grounded in practice, empathy, and systems thinking as CIT continues to strengthen crisis response across communities.