Montanaro resigning as head of BHDDH

CRANSTON – Maria Montanaro, head of the state’s behavioral health agency, will be resigning effective June 24, according to a news release from Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Elizabeth Roberts.

Montanaro laid a strong foundation for significant reform at the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, said Roberts. Gov. Gina M. Raimondo appointed Montanaro to the position in early 2015.

As she departs, Montanaro is proposing changes to improve the way BHDDH serves its clients.

Her proposal, which would require the governor’s support and legislative action, involves radical reform – and, eventually, the dissolution of BHDDH, The Providence Journal reported.

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“I wasn’t expecting the shocking level of disarray that I found the department in,” Montanaro said of her tenure.

Asked if she would have taken the job had she known, Montanaro said: “Probably not.”

Deputy Director Rebecca Boss will serve as acting director of BHDDH during the transition to new permanent leadership. •

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