Debra Johnson

The promotion of Debra Johnson to Executive Director of the St. Clair County Community Mental Health Authority, effective January 1, 2013, was announced yesterday by Joann Tomlinson, Chairman of the St. Clair County Community Mental Health Authority Executive Board. In her new role, Ms. Johnson will be responsible for planning, contracting for and monitoring community mental health, substance abuse and developmental disabilities services delivered through private contract agencies, implementing policies developed by the Executive Board and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the agency.   Following the announcement, current executive director Michael McCartan said, “Deb has been a dedicated, hardworking and passionate leader in our Agency for many years.  Having worked here for as long as I have, it was important to me that my successor was someone I believed could lead the organization in difficult times.  There is no one more capable than Deb.”  Ms. Johnson joined St. Clair County Community Mental Health in 1988 as a case manager. Prior to her appointment to deputy director in April 2009 she was Associate Director of Operations for eleven years.  In this position Ms. Johnson provided clinical and administrative oversight of public mental health programs. Ms. Johnson has also served as a division and assistant division director, case manager supervisor and program coordinator.   In October 2010 Ms. Johnson became the director of the Prepaid Inpatient Health Plan (PIHP), a division of St. Clair Community Mental Health, which includes a partnership between Lapeer, Sanilac and St. Clair County public mental health systems.   Ms. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Western Michigan University and a Master of Science degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University.  Ms. Johnson is the president of the Child Abuse/Neglect Council Board, a board member for Mid-City Nutrition, and the Academic Transitional Academy, as well as volunteers with numerous other organizations. She was recently named the 2012 Blue Water Woman of the Year.