Terri Tanielian

The Honorable Terri Tanielian is a nationally recognized expert in veteran and military health policy, behavioral health, suicide prevention, and resilience. She currently serves as a strategic advisor to several leading non-profit and private organizations. From 2021 to 2025, she served in the Biden-Harris Administration as Special Assistant to the President for Veterans Affairs and Behavioral Health. In this role, she led the Administration’s efforts to improve services for veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors, and to transform the nation’s approach to mental health and substance use.

Terri previously served as a Senior Behavioral Scientist at the RAND Corporation, where she led influential research on mental health, military caregiving, and the psychological impacts of war—including the landmark studies Invisible Wounds of War, Hidden Heroes, and The Deployment Life Study. Her work has shaped national policy, and she has testified before Congress multiple times.

She has authored over 110 peer-reviewed publications and has advised organizations including the National Academy of Medicine, The Carter Center, and the Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative. In 2019, she served as a Congressional Fellow with the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, drafting legislation on veteran suicide prevention. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Military Family Advisory Network, SAFE Project, and the Healthy Brain Global Initiative and is a member of the Medical & Science Advisory Council for the Invisible Wounds Foundation. Terri holds a Master of Arts in Psychology from The American University and a Bachelor of Arts from Boston University.