Deputy Commissioner Nancy Navarretta was nominated by Gov. Ned Lamont to lead Connecticut’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, filling a gap created when Miriam Delphin-Rittmon departed to join President Joe Biden’s administration as assistant secretary for mental health and substance use in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Lamont praised Navarretta’s leadership during the interim period. “We need strong leadership on these issues at this time, particularly when it comes to the impact that the opioid epidemic is having on our country and the growing mental health needs resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Lamont said. Navarretta is a licensed professional counselor who, prior to entering government service in 2013, held positions at several Connecticut behavioral health providers including Cornell Scott-Hill Health Corporation in New Haven, Fairfield Community Services, and Liberation Programs Inc., in Norwalk.
“I appreciate Governor Lamont’s confidence in my leadership and look forward to collaborating with sister state agencies and partnering with stakeholders statewide,” Navarretta stated. She committed to supporting individuals struggling with mental health concerns and those affected by the opioid epidemic through “holistic, comprehensive, and effective services and supports that foster dignity, respect, and self-sufficiency.”
Navarretta, of Hamden, had served as deputy commissioner since 2015 and as acting commissioner following Delphin-Rittmon’s departure. The behavioral health system has faced strain from the COVID pandemic and DMHAS, which operates two state hospitals and provides behavioral healthcare to 100,000 adults annually, has struggled with short staffing.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://ctnewsjunkie.com/2021/12/01/lamont-nominates-nancy-navarretta-mental-health-and-addiction-services-post/