Leadership Team
Brian Spitsbergen, PhD, LPC, CAADC
President
Dr. Spitsbergen has served as MSP’s president since 2022. He previously joined MSP as a member of the Board of Trustees in 2017. As a Board member he served as Secretary for a three-year term before stepping into the role of Vice Chair in 2021.
Dr. Spitsbergen earned his PhD from Oakland University in Counselor Education and is the founder of Brian Spitsbergen PhD, PLLC, a private practice focused on individual and corporate counseling and consultation for behavioral health and substance use disorders. Dr. Spitsbergen has worked directly in the SUD treatment field for over 30 years and has extensive experience in executive leadership, development of cutting-edge behavioral health, and treatment for adolescents, adults, and families. He has also led several regional projects to tackle the opioid crisis.
As the President, Dr. Spitsbergen is responsible for providing overall leadership for MSP to advance the school’s mission, purpose, and vision. In this role he promotes MSP’s unique climate of academic excellence and its contributions to the field of psychology.
Tami Jacobs, MEd
Vice President of Services & Operations
Tami Jacobs joined the Michigan School of Psychology in 2024 as the Vice President of Services & Operations. She has over twenty-five years of experience working in higher education. A significant portion of her time has been spent working with historically disadvantaged populations with a focus on recognizing and eliminating systemic barriers in education.
Tami has a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Concordia University. She was previously the Dean of Student Success at Pierce College in Washington State. In this position she also served as the District ADA Compliance Officer/504 Coordinator, Deputy Title IX Coordinator, and Conduct Review Officer.
As the VP of Services & Operations, Tami is responsible for providing overall operational leadership for MSP. In this role she monitors, develops, and implements policies, procedures and practices designed to ensure the effective delivery of programs and services necessary to support MSP’s mission.
Mike Tyler, PhD, LP
Vice President of Academics
Dr. Tyler joined the Michigan School of Psychology in 2022 as the Dean of Academic Programs. As an experienced administrator and licensed psychologist, he brings a deep understanding of the challenges facing higher education broadly as well as the unique needs faced by psychology programs.
Dr. Tyler completed his degree in Counseling Psychology at Indiana University and immediately accepted a position as a founding faculty member at Florida Gulf Coast University. While in Florida he was actively involved in professional associations at the state and national level, received two teaching awards, and maintained an active research program. With his family he relocated to Michigan where he was on the faculty of Wayne State University and served in an administrative capacity at Baker College. Most recently he has served as the Associate Provost for Graduate and Online Education at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Outside of academia, Dr. Tyler worked for several years in a psychiatric hospital primarily with young adolescents. In Florida he worked with Southwest Florida Addiction Services primarily in an adolescent residential drug treatment center, as well as a community mental health center meeting the needs of clients in the rural interior of Florida. In his private practice, he focused on relationship issues.
As the Vice President of Academics, Dr. Tyler is responsible for the vision of MSP’s academic programs. In this role he works with the Program Directors, Director of Clinical Training, and faculty to plan and assess program curriculum and promote faculty research, scholarship, teaching excellence and service to the community and profession.
Jim Maher, PhD
Clinic Director
Dr. Maher joined the Michigan School of Psychology in August 2019 to help develop the Michigan School Psychological Clinic as Clinic Director. Dr. Maher oversaw the opening of the clinic and established it as resource to the community where individuals and families can receive high-quality, low-cost mental health care
Dr. Maher previously worked in Detroit area hospitals on psychiatric inpatient units and was at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital for twenty-four years. While there he was the Lead Clinician for Behavioral Services, conducted daily individual and group psychotherapy, and directed the training of psychology students in both internship (1999-2004) and practicum (2008-2019) settings.
Dr. Maher has also served as an Adjunct Professor and Supervisor at the University of Detroit Mercy for fifteen years, teaching a variety of courses including Group Therapy and Psychology in a Hospital Setting.
As Clinic Director, Dr. Maher oversees all aspects of the Michigan School Psychological Clinic’s operations, clinical training program, and is responsible for the Clinic’s community outreach and relationships.
