NEWS

Ex-director says resignation won't stop mental health reform

Beth Miller
The News Journal

Kevin Ann Huckshorn, who has steered reform of Delaware's mental-health reforms for almost six years, had a quick weekend meeting with some front-line workers to reassure them about the future of the state's services.

Huckshorn resigned Oct. 31 from her job as head of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, citing an increased need to help her parents in Florida. A nationally recognized expert in mental health issues, she was recruited by Delaware officials in 2009 to help the state address problems at the Delaware Psychiatric Center and to expand and develop its community mental health system to comply with terms of a 2011 settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Robert Bernstein, appointed by the U.S. District Court to monitor Delaware's reform efforts, said he was shocked to learn of Huckshorn's resignation. But, he said, she developed a strong, sustainable plan and her deputy – Melissa Smith – is "creative, very bright, dedicated" and well-suited to carry on the work. She will also provide continuity, he said, which is key to sustaining the reforms under way.

Smith will go out on maternity leave in a few weeks, but said the division is in good shape.

"It's a big ship to sail, but we're on a good course," Smith said. "I feel good about the changes we've made. We're poised to continue and a lot of people are jumping in to help in a lot of different ways."

Huckshorn met with almost two dozen staffers of the Rick VanStory Resource Center in Wilmington Saturday afternoon, and got a standing ovation and a plaque of recognition from them. The center provides services to those in recovery from psychiatric disorders and offers emergency shelter, food, and other supports.

"My staff is very nervous about this," said RVRC founder and executive director Allen Conover. They are concerned that services provided by peer specialists are losing a champion, he said.

But Huckshorn said such programs have strong support from Rita Landgraf, secretary of Health & Social Services, and Gov. Jack Markell.

"And the team in the division I directed are super-committed people," she said. "You won't find any more hard-working people than them."

Delaware has a July 2016 deadline to meet the ambitious terms of its settlement with the DOJ. Bernstein has said the state has made remarkable progress, but much remains to be done.

"Kevin did an extraordinary job in turning around the state's mental-health system," Bernstein said. "She did so in a way that was hugely creative. We had a really excellent working relationship, which is not always the case when there is a federal lawsuit. She'll be sorely missed."

Bernstein said Huckshorn installed a good and improving system.

"DSAMH is not perfect, but it has made extraordinary changes," he said. "It's still evolving."

Huckshorn said she plans to stay in Delaware. Once family matters are stabilized, she hopes to return to national-level work. She was with the National Association for State Mental Health Program Directors and the National Coordinating Center for Seclusion and Restraint Reduction when Delaware called.

Huckshorn said her first job upon arrival was to stabilize the situation at the Delaware Psychiatric Center, the state's largest psychiatric hospital, which was in upheaval after a News Journal investigation prompted state and federal-level investigations. She then managed sweeping reforms mandated by settlement terms with the U.S. DOJ.

She described her team as "some of the most intelligent, passionate, committed and dedicated staff and community stakeholders I have ever worked with."

Conover said Huckshorn has been a champion for those she served, ensuring they had influence and a role in the changes that would affect them.

"She is the first person who said to me 'you are my colleague,'" Conover said. "That made a big difference in my life."

Contact Beth Miller at (302) 324-2784 or bmiller@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @BMiller57 or on Facebook.