Lynda Battaglia, LCSW, serves as the Executive Director for The Rural Outreach Center. She is a mission-driven and compassionate leader with more than 25 years of clinical and administrative experience in behavioral health. Her expertise spans rural mental health, trauma-informed care, suicide prevention, behavioral threat assessment, forensic social work, disaster response, and crisis intervention.

Lynda brings a collaborative, community-centered approach to leadership, building strong partnerships among behavioral health professionals, first responders, community organizations, and other stakeholders. She is skilled at navigating complex and high-stress situations with resilience, strategic thinking, cultural competence, and a strong commitment to ethical practice.

As an educator and mentor, including her academic engagement as an adjunct instructor at the University at Buffalo, Lynda is dedicated to developing professionals and strengthening the communities they serve. Her leadership is grounded in advocacy for underserved populations and a commitment to expanding access to meaningful mental health resources in rural communities.