Meet our team
Dr. Shairi Turner, MD, MPH
Pronouns: She/ Her/ Hers
Title: Chief Health Officer
Joined Crisis Text Line: June 2020
Guided by a profound sense of purpose and compassion, Shairi R. Turner, MD, MPH has followed a nontraditional path rooted in healing, equity, and advocacy. From transforming healthcare for incarcerated youth in Florida to educating clinicians on how to recognize and respond to trauma, Dr. Turner has dedicated her life to uplifting those too often overlooked. Her journey led her to Crisis Text Line, where she now serves as Chief Health Officer for the lifesaving mental health support organization.
In her current role, Dr. Turner leads Crisis Text Line’s public policy, advocacy, and crisis supervision teams—championing the mental well-being of millions. A trained internist and pediatrician with deep expertise in trauma-informed care, she brings both clinical insight and heartfelt commitment to her work.
Dr. Turner first joined Crisis Text Line in 2017 as Chief Medical Officer, guiding the Crisis Supervision Team and helping shape the care provided to people in crisis. She returned in 2020 as Chief Transformation Officer, spearheading efforts to embed equity and inclusion into every corner of the organization’s culture. Today, as Chief Health Officer, she leads external initiatives that strengthen mental health policy, advocacy, and partnerships nationwide. Her unwavering commitment to addressing the mental health crisis reflects both her personal mission and professional expertise.
Before joining Crisis Text Line, Dr. Turner served as the first Chief Medical Director for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, where she oversaw health, mental health, and substance use services for incarcerated youth—many of whom had histories of unaddressed trauma. Her dedication to trauma-informed systems extended to her work as Deputy Secretary for Health and Interim State Surgeon General at the Florida Department of Health, and later, as a faculty consultant for the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care. There, she co-led national trainings on the neurobiology of trauma, equipping professionals with the tools to better understand and support those in pain.
Dr. Turner holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Stanford University and a Doctor of Medicine degree with honors from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She completed the Harvard Combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency Program, and as a Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellow in Minority Health Policy, earned a Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Dr. Turner has been a featured expert in numerous top-tier and regional media networks such as NBC’s Meet the Press, Scripps News, Good Day DC, CNN, iHeart Radio Podcast with Michelle Williams, Good Day Seattle, HuffPost, to name a few. She also was a co-Host of NIKE’s acclaimed No Off Season podcast series. She is married and the mother of two pre-Med college students.
At every stage of her career, Dr. Turner has brought empathy, insight, and bold vision to the work of healing individuals and transforming systems.
