Dr. Sherry Cusumano

Dr. Sherry Lee ( Dale ) Cusumano was born on May 17, 1951 in Los Angeles, California, to parents Robert Dale and Velta Lee ( Stanley ) Dale. Sherry passed away peacefully at age 71 on June 5, 2022, in Plano, Texas.

Dr. Sherry Cusumano, RN, LCDC, MS, DPN served as the Administrative Director of Community Education and Clinical Development at Medical City Green Oaks.  Since 1977, she has worked tirelessly in the mental health field providing treatment and care for people with behavioral health disorders and enjoyed educating our North Texas Community on mental illnesses and addictions.

Dr. Cusumano began her career at Medical City Green Oaks in 1993, and has served many roles in the hospital setting.  During her time at Green Oaks she earned her Master’s in Healthcare Administration.  In 2022, she completed her work and acquired her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Nova Southeastern University with a focus on psychiatry and public policy.

Beginning in 2006, Sherry was instrumental in developing a region-wide system of Mental Health Crisis Intervention Training for law enforcement officers.   This training, based on nationally recognized best practices, significantly increased officer effectiveness and safety in crisis situations, and improved the safety and outcomes for people experiencing behavioral health crisis, their families, and the community.  She organized major conferences attended by law enforcement and behavioral health professionals aimed at improving skills and across many disciplines and systems.  Sherry won many local, statewide, and national awards for her outstanding efforts, including Instructor of the Year by the Dallas Police Department.

Sherry was an active member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), beginning with NAMI Collin County.  She served as a volunteer, teacher and trainer for over twenty years.

She completed courses in NAMI Basics, the nationally acclaimed Family-to-Family and served as a Family Support Group facilitator.  She taught Family-to-Family and was a train-the-trainer for the State of Texas. Sherry was elected to the NAMI Dallas Board of Directors in 2008, serving as Vice President.  In 2010, she was elected to serve as President, a position she held for ten years.  She orchestrated the growth of the organization to reach NAMI national standards and the expansion of the organization now known as NAMI North Texas, merging NAMI Collin County, NAMI Denton County and NAMI Dallas.

In 2014, Sherry was selected to serve on the Board of Directors of NAMI Texas in Austin and served on the Advocacy and Public Policy committee for many years.  Sherry was a dedicated advocate for people with mental illness and substance use disorders.  She walked miles on the marble floors of the State Capitol in Austin and the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. (in 6-inch heels!)  providing education and information on public policy considerations, breaking stereotypes and stigma surrounding these illnesses.

Sherry concluded her service to NAMI North Texas and NAMI Texas in 2020. In 2021, at the NAMI Texas Conference, she was recognized as the recipient of the Jackie Shannon Enduring Service Award. Sherry continued to volunteer and contribute in a variety of ways, always believing strongly in the mission and vision of NAMI.

From its inception in 2011, Sherry was appointed by the Dallas County Commissioners Court to serve as a member of the Dallas County Behavioral Health Leadership Team.  She has continued since that time as a valued, trusted and respected member, and her contributions helped to shape improvements in the region’s behavioral health system.  She also served on the Adult Clinical Operations Team (ACOT) and the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) Planning and Network Advisory Committee.

Sherry was named Vice Chair of the Dallas Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation’s Community Health Collaborative Advisory Board in 2020.  She was a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and served on DFWHCF’s Mental Health First Aid Subcommittee.

Sherry served on behavioral health stakeholder advisory committees in Collin County as well, offering her expertise to law enforcement, criminal justice, health care and education in policy decisions and system improvement.

Sherry is survived by her husband Joseph Cusumano; son, Vincent Cusumano ( Gabriela ), daughter, Angelina Bsoul ( Mohammad ); grandchild, Sophia Cusumano; sister Yvonne Bradley ( Bruce ); mother, Velta Lee Hutchison; step sister, Robyn Balland; step brothers, Brook Maese, William Maese and Mike Manz.

Sherry is preceded in death by her father, Robert Glen Dale.

The family will receive friends at a visitation on Tuesday, June14, 2022 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Allen Family Funeral Options. The funeral will be a private, family-only service. For Sherry’s many beloved friends, a live webcast of the service begins on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. for all to participate please click the link directly below.

Webcast Link http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/74549

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be sent in Sherry's name to NAMI of North Texas.

https://tinyurl.com/InHonorofSherry

http://www.randyskinner.com/homes/downloads/GoingHome11-15-12-1.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMvRcW4FZWI