Health System with 3 hospitals across 1 state
| Health System | Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services |
|---|---|
| Total Hospitals | 3 |
| Commercial/Acute Hospitals | 0 |
| Total Beds | 508 |
| Commercial/Acute Beds | 0 |
| Headquarters | Middletown, CT |
| Website | ct.gov/dmhas |
| Hospital | Type | Beds | Teaching | Recently Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Valley Hospital | Psychiatric | 386 | Yes | No |
| Connecticut Mental Health Center | Psychiatric | 70 | Yes | No |
| Southwest Connecticut Mental Health | Psychiatric | 52 | Yes | No |
Welcome to the DMHAS website. I hope you find the information presented here useful in your search for mental health...
Colleen Harrington, LCSW, MBA, is the Deputy Commissioner at the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), a position she has held since January 2022. She is a Health Care Management professional with extensive experience in clinical care and services management, program management, community education and organization, labor relations, training, and human resources. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Commissioner, Ms. Harrington held several roles within DMHAS, including Director of the Western Connecticut Mental Health Network at the Waterbury Site, Director of Special Projects of the Managed Services Division, and Director of the Managed Services Division in the Office of the Commissioner. Before rejoining DMHAS, she served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at United Services, Inc., a community behavioral health center in Northeast Connecticut. Her earlier career also included positions at United Services, starting as a Child Advocate and later becoming a Program Manager, a clinician in the Child Guidance Clinic, and Division Director for Continuing Care Services. Ms. Harrington holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Connecticut and completed her graduate studies at the University of Connecticut, earning a Master's in Social Work (MSW), and at the University of Hartford, where she earned a Master's in Business Administration (MBA). She is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Connecticut.
Celeste Cremin-Endes is the Chief of State-Operated Services at the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). Prior to this role, she served as the Chief Executive Officer for DMHAS, River Valley Services. She also previously held the position of Director of Rehabilitation Services for Connecticut's Southwest Region around 2008/2009. She holds an LCSW and MPH.
Michael Girlamo, LCSW, is the Chief Data & Quality Officer at the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). He is also listed as a member of the All Payer Claims Database Data Release Committee as the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services (DMHAS) Commissioner designee. Additionally, a contact for the Disaster Behavioral Health Initiative within DMHAS is listed as Michael Girlamo.
Christopher McClure has been the Chief of Staff at the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) since March 2022. He holds a Juris Doctor (JD) from Drake University Law School, earned between 2006 and 2009, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English from San Diego State University, earned between 1999 and 2003. He has been quoted as a spokesman for DMHAS regarding an audit and has provided information on the allocation of opioid settlement funds on behalf of the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee (OSAC).
Kelly Sinko Steuber is the Chief of Policy and Governmental Affairs at the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), a position she has held since July 2023. Prior to this role, she served as the Director, Government Relations for Health Affairs at the University of Connecticut (Storrs) from November 2019 to November 2020. Ms. Sinko Steuber has over 12 years of experience in health and human services policy and implementation, with experience in the executive and legislative branches, as well as the state's academic medical center. She previously held the position of Director of Healthcare Innovation at the Office of Health Strategy, where she oversaw initiatives including the healthcare benchmark initiative, community health initiatives, and prescription drug reporting. She holds a Master's degree in Public Administration (2008-2009) and a Bachelor's degree in psychology (2004-2008) from Clark University.
Shannon Wegele serves as the Chief Administrative Officer at the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). Prior to this role, she was the Chief of Staff at the Connecticut Secretary of State's office, holding that position in at least 2018 and 2020. Wegele is also a member of the Community Advisory Board for the UConn School of Social Work.
Cheryl Arora serves as the Chief Financial Officer at the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). She is also identified as the Chief of Fiscal Administrative Services for the department. Her contact information is listed as 860-418-6937 and her email is [email protected]. No further details regarding her professional background or a comprehensive biography were found in the search results.
Charles C. Dike, MD, MPH, FRCPsych, serves as the Chief Medical Officer at the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and is a Professor of Psychiatry and Co-Director, Law and Psychiatry Division at Yale University School of Medicine. He obtained his medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria and completed psychiatric residency training in England and at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Dike further completed a fellowship in Law and Psychiatry at Yale University. He holds a Diploma in Clinical Psychiatry, is a member and Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists of England, and earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Board certified in adult general and forensic psychiatry, he previously held roles as Medical Director and Division Director at the Whiting Forensic Division. Dr. Dike is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. His expertise includes medical and psychiatric ethics and forensic psychiatry.
Elsa Ward, MS, CAC, is the Director of Recovery and Community Affairs for Connecticut's Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). In this role, she represents DMHAS in national organizations and events and works to ensure meaningful contact and dialogue with representatives of the recovery community throughout Connecticut. Prior to joining DMHAS, Ms. Ward accumulated over 22 years of experience in the private non-profit sector. Her work primarily focused on assisting individuals with co-occurring disorders. She has held a variety of roles and possesses a strong background in human services administration and higher education. Ms. Ward's experience includes working in various settings such as residential, intensive outpatient, and detox programs, as well as homeless outreach, supportive housing, peer recovery support, and developing a paid work apprentice program for people facing employment barriers. Elsa Ward holds an Associate degree in Drug and Alcohol Counseling, and Bachelor and Master degrees in Human Services. She is also a Certified Addictions Counselor (CAC).
Chyrell Bellamy, MSW, PhD, serves as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Office of the Commissioner at the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). She is also a Professor in Yale University's Department of Psychiatry and directs the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH), including the roles of Director of Peer Support Services & Research and Director of the Yale Lived Experience Transformational Leadership Academy (LET(s)Lead). Dr. Bellamy holds a PhD in Social Work and Social Psychology from the University of Michigan and an MSW. Her professional background encompasses experience as a frontline service provider, clinician, social worker, community educator and organizer, trainer, program evaluator, and researcher. She is recognized for her expertise in areas such as community-based participatory research, healthcare disparities, sociocultural pathways of recovery, and the effectiveness of peer support, and openly shares her lived experience with mental illness, trauma, and addictions.
Dana Begin is the Director of the Evidence-Based Practices and Grants Division at the Office of the Commissioner (OOC) within the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). Dana is a registered and licensed Occupational Therapist (OT) and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy from Quinnipiac University (2000). She also holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Connecticut (2020). Dana has more than 19 years of experience in mental health and joined DMHAS in 2005. Dana is the creator of a functional assessment called the Learning Inventory of Skills Development (L.I.S.T.) which is a tool that has been used statewide in the Department of Children and Families (DCF) for youth ages 14 and older. Dana has published an article in the Occupational Journal in Mental Health (2017) and has presented her functional assessment (L.I.S.T.) at a national conference, The 30th Annual Research and Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Behavioral Health (2017) and also at the Connecticut Occupational Therapy Association (ConnOTA) Semi-Annual Conference (2017).