On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors will act on a Board Letter, authorizing the appointment of Jonathan E. Sherin, MD, PhD, to serve as the next Director of the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health. Dr. Sherin brings a wealth of experience in the mental health field.

As Volunteers of America’s executive vice president for military communities and chief medical officer, Dr. Sherin, has overseen the expansion and innovation of Volunteers of America’s programs for our nation’s service members, bringing key clinical and scientific expertise to the organization as a whole. He has has worked to enhance mental health services in over 400 communities throughout the United States.

Dr. Sherin has held various academic appointments, most recently as clinical professor and vice chairman for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami. He is an accomplished neurobiology researcher with significant achievements for which he has received awards and recognition at the national and international level. Dr. Sherin completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University, his graduate work in a combined program at the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School, and his post-graduate training at UCLA. He continues to teach and provide psychiatric care as a volunteer at the VA in Los Angeles, Calif.

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health is the largest county-operated mental health department in the United States, directly operating programs in more than 85 sites, and providing services via contract program and DMH staff at approximately 300 sites co-located with other County departments, schools, courts and other organizations. Each year, the County contracts with more than 1,000 organizations and individual practitioners to provide a variety of mental health-related services. On average, DMH services more than 250,000 County residents of all ages every year.

The DMH Mission:

Enriching lives through partnership designed to strengthen the community’s capacity to support recovery and resiliency is our Mission. DMH works with its stakeholders and community partners to provide clinically competent, culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate mental health services to our clients in the least restrictive manner possible. We tailor our services and support to help clients and families achieve their personal goals, increase their ability to achieve independence and develop skills to support their leading the most constructive and satisfying life possible.