BALTIMORE, MD (September 4, 2008) - Renata J. Henry has been appointed Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health and Disabilities by Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) Secretary John M. Colmers.  Ms. Henry, who begins her new position on September 29, currently serves as the director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health for Delaware Health and Social Services. 

“We are extremely fortunate that Renata Henry has decided to join the DHMH leadership team,” Secretary Colmers said.  “Her wealth of experience includes more than 30 years in the behavioral health field and is complemented by relevant leadership in various capacities at the national level.” 

The Behavioral Health and Disabilities position, created this spring by the General Assembly, is a new part of the DHMH organizational structure that now includes four deputy secretariats.  It encompasses the department’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Developmental Disabilities, and Mental Hygiene administrations.  These units were formerly located under the department’s Public Health Services deputy secretariat. 

Uniting these administrations will strengthen the department’s ability to focus on Maryland residents who suffer from co-occurring disorders – many of whom find themselves involved in the legal system -- and will help DHMH address the challenges it faces in coordinating the delivery of health care services. 

“I am excited to join Secretary Colmers’ team at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,” Ms. Henry said.  “I look forward to working with key stakeholders to develop a new and shared vision for public sector behavioral health and disabilities services in Maryland.  Collaborative planning, clear communication, and a focus on tangible outcomes will be the drivers for improved coordination between the Mental Hygiene, Developmental Disabilities and Alcohol and Drug Abuse administrations.”

This marks the first time DHMH’s organizational structure has been changed by legislation since the late 1980s.  In the ensuing years, public health programs have grown in size and complexity.  This action will consolidate services for our state’s most vulnerable residents and at the same time create a more effective and efficient government. 

The increased focus on the health care needs of court involved individuals who suffer from co-occurring disorders gives DHMH the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all Marylanders.   Many of these individuals present the most complex medical needs. 

Ms. Henry, 59, was named director of Delaware’s Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health in 1999.  She previously served for four years as the director of that division’s Drug and Alcohol Services unit.

On the national level, she was the president of the board of directors of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors from 2005 to 2007.  Ms. Henry served a four-year term on the National Advisory Mental Health Council for the National Institutes of Health from 2002 – 2006.  

Ms. Henry holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree in education from Antioch University.  She is the mother of two daughters.