A licensed marriage and household therapist who has managed psychological well being applications since 2003 has been named the director of Santa Barbara County’s Behavioral Wellness Department.
Antonette “Toni” Navarro was appointed final week by the Board of Supervisors and is predicted to start out Dec. 13, taking up from Dr. Pamela Fisher, who was named interim director following the departure of Dr. Alice Gleghorn in June.
Fisher will return to her earlier function as assistant director of Behavioral Wellness however plans to retire from the county this winter, stated a spokeswoman for the county.
“I’m honored to be becoming a member of the Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness crew and connecting with county employees, residents, behavioral wellness stakeholders and behavioral well being suppliers all through the county to listen to their views on wellness and restoration; after which working collectively to make sure that the division maintains a system of care that helps these wants in an equitable, efficient and fiscally accountable means,” Navarro stated.
The County Behavioral Wellness Division has 403 workers and a finances of $164 million. Navarro’s annual wage will probably be just a little over $202,380, plus advantages.
Navarro has been with Tri-City Mental Health Authority in Los Angeles County since 2008, serving six years as its chief scientific officer and the previous seven years as govt director.
In that place, she has been liable for planning, organizing and directing operations of the joint powers authority to supply outpatient specialty psychological well being providers to the cities of Claremont, La Verne and Pomona.
“Ms. Navarro is an inspiring and skilled chief with a observe report of making progressive applications and growing a dynamic and visionary behavioral system of care,” stated Mona Miyasato, county govt officer.
“She has a community-focused strategy, with experience in each scientific applications and administrative oversight, and reveals a heartfelt ardour for this work.”
Miyasato additionally acknowledged Fisher for main the Behavioral Wellness Division over the previous six months, sustaining neighborhood relations and offering all providers.
Navarro grew up in Santa Barbara and attended Santa Barbara Excessive Faculty. She earned a bachelor’s diploma in psychology from College of California, Los Angeles, and a grasp’s diploma in training, with an emphasis on marriage and household counseling, from UC Santa Barbara.
Her prior expertise consists of youth and household psychological well being and substance use dysfunction programming with Hathaway-Sycamores Kids and Household Companies in Pacoima and serving on the governing board of the California Behavioral Well being Administrators Affiliation, the spokeswoman stated.
For the previous eight years, Navarro additionally has been an adjunct school member on the College of La Verne, and he or she presently serves as president of the California Social Work Training Heart’s Advisory Board hosted by the College of California, Berkeley’s Faculty of Social Welfare.