KINGSTON, N.Y. — Ulster County Govt Pat Ryan has nominated Tara McDonald as commissioner of the newly re-created Division of Psychological Well being. Since 2017, McDonald served as deputy commissioner of the Division of Well being and Psychological Well being, overseeing the company’s psychological well being division.
She was appointed performing commissioner of the Division of Psychological Well being earlier this yr.
“Tara McDonald is a devoted public servant who will carry great expertise, data, and compassion to the important activity of offering our residents with the psychological well being care that they want and deserve,” stated Ryan in a press launch saying her appointment. “At a time after we’re seeing increasingly of our residents wrestle with psychological well being and habit, (McDonald) is the suitable individual to be on the helm to assist us step up our recreation and recommit Ulster County to offering high quality psychological well being care.”
In his State of the County deal with in March, Ryan introduced his administration was starting the re-investments in psychological well being providers that had been proposed within the 2022 Govt Finances, re-establishing a fully-functioning Psychological Well being Division, and changing into one of many first counties within the state to construct a Disaster Stabilization Heart.
A Kingston resident, McDonald holds a bachelor’s diploma from SUNY at Stony Brook, a grasp’s diploma in Public Administration from Marist School and a grasp’s diploma in Social Work from Fordham College.
Previous to working for the county, she served for greater than 10 years within the New York State Workplace of Psychological Well being.
Just lately, McDonald served because the chairwoman of the Ulster County Behavioral Well being Job Power, a bunch of almost 30 leaders within the psychological well being and habit care group. The duty drive produced a doc, primarily based on almost 5 months of gathering skilled opinions and talking candidly collectively and with the general public, which identifies present gaps within the psychological well being and habit system of care whereas proposing options to assist and increase present providers.
McDonald’s appointment should be confirmed by the county Legislature. The place carries a $110,001 annual wage.
