Governor appoints new chair to Council on Behavioral Health

The chief impact and equity officer for the United Way of Rhode Island has been appointed chair of the Governor’s Council on Behavioral Health. 

Gov. Dan McKee announced Wednesday the appointment of Larry Warner to lead the 22-member council, made up of representatives from a variety of interests within the mental health field. Warner replaces Rich Leclerc, who was appointed by Gov. Lincoln Almond in 2002. The council plans, coordinates, monitors, and assesses state services for users of mental health and substance abuse services.

“The work that the council does touches on so much of what we do, and that is why I am pleased to appoint Larry Warner to this leadership role,” McKee said. “That is where this council plays a role, guiding us as we address our state’s behavioral health needs.” 

Warner holds a doctorate in health equity and social services from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Before joining United Way in 2019, Larry was the strategic initiative officer for the Healthy Lives initiative at Rhode Island Foundation. A former Providence EMT and firefighter, Warner said his experiences in those roles taught him the critical need for mental health services in the state.

“Serving on the council provides me an opportunity to convene government and community to inform and direct efforts to address substance use and mental health needs,” Warner said in a statement. 

“Thinking back to my days as a first responder in the City of Providence and responding to drug overdoses and mental health crises, when people didn’t know where to turn, 911 served as a stopgap,” he said. “Serving on the council provides me an opportunity to convene government and community to inform and direct efforts to address substance use and mental health needs.”