Her Story
About Ashli
Ashli Murray is a behavioral health leader, nonprofit founder, and mental health advocate dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families through compassionate, solution-oriented care. As Area Director for an intermediate healthcare facility in Dallas, Texas, she oversees operations, staff leadership, programming, and regulatory compliance while ensuring individuals with higher-functioning needs receive the support and accommodations necessary to live as independently as possible. In just five years, Murray has built an impressive career spanning behavioral health, foster care, homelessness prevention, and developmental disabilities, earning a reputation for her integrity, servant leadership, and unwavering commitment to those she serves.
Murray's professional journey began as a Registered Behavior Technician providing therapy for children diagnosed with autism before expanding into case management roles with Volunteers of America, where she worked in homelessness prevention, eviction prevention, housing navigation, and veteran support services. She later transitioned into foster care, advocating for children through adoption and family reunification while helping families navigate complex systems of care. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Middle Georgia State University in 2020, pursued graduate studies in Mental Health Counseling at Walden University, and completed Cornell University's Women's Entrepreneurship Certificate Program. Her expertise combines behavioral healthcare with operational excellence, allowing her to develop programs that balance client independence, regulatory compliance, and compassionate support.
Driven by a passion to expand access to mental health resources, Murray founded Can You Talk Incorporated in 2024, a Georgia-based nonprofit dedicated to providing free regional mental health resources and promoting early literacy through its annual community book drive. Despite being early in her career, she has already established herself as an emerging leader committed to creating meaningful change through advocacy, education, and service. Murray attributes her success to an unwavering desire to continually grow while appreciating every milestone along the journey. She believes integrity is the foundation of effective leadership and encourages the next generation to be patient with themselves, embrace challenges with grace, and never underestimate the impact they can make by leading with compassion and purpose.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ashli
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the desire of wanting more for myself. I think that in life it's easy to become complacent. However I am someone who likes to push the envelope. While simultaneously learning to appreciate where I'm at and wanting the most out of my life.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
We're always operating in the gray area, because there is so many ambiguities in the industry that I’m in, being cognizant of the gray area and the things that are unseen. A lot of daily affairs are on the day-to-day and what needs to be done and deadlines but we must remain aware of the gray area.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
To be patient with yourself. I think that when I entered this industry I was kind of naive because it is a lot that you do and take on although we're still human beings. It is imperative to be patient with yourself. You will have good days and you'll have bad days but it’s important to not internalize that. Always give yourself some grace and be patient with yourself.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenge is the mental burnout because you are working in behavior science... the burnout is real... the positive side is that behavior health was something in the past that was disregarded. However now being openly received and we are seeing more science and research... it is an industry that is still developing.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is the most important to me especially in the work that I do. You have to have a lot of integrity to work with vulnerable populations. Always operating with a certain level of integrity is important. Also in my personal life I think that the ability to have integrity establishes clear boundaries and sets the standards for your life.
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