Health Department Appoints New Executive Deputy Commissioner of Mental Hygiene
Deepa Avula, MPH, will lead the Division of Mental Hygiene, which oversees the agency’s work on mental health, alcohol and drug use prevention, care and treatment and children youth and families, among other bureaus.
March 30, 2023 — The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has appointed Deepa Avula as the agency’s Executive Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Mental Hygiene. Originally from New York City, she joins the department after serving as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Behavioral Health Link, which followed decades of mental health leadership across the state and federal levels.
“This is an inflection point for mental health in our city and she is the right person at the right time to help lead the implementation of our vision in New York City,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “The reality is that our city is hurting. We see it everywhere we look and we have an obligation to extend and improve New Yorkers’ lives. The city will be better for her service.”
“NYC is taking bold action to advancing behavioral health,” said Deepa Avula, MPH. “There is no meaningful discussion of health without behavioral health and I am so grateful for the opportunity to contribute to improving the lives of New Yorkers at this critical time.”
She previously served as commissioner of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and held multiple executive roles with the federal Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). While there, she oversaw policy and operations efforts for the $10 billion agency; led agency efforts on the Federal Commission on School Safety to advance school-based mental health; served as a key lead on the agency’s COVID-19 response and secured Provider Relief Fund availability for behavioral health providers who lost revenue due to the pandemic.
Ms. Avula’s efforts to further support for families impacted by substance use include the establishment of two national Centers of Excellence specific to consumer and family support services for those living with mental and substance use disorders.
Ms. Avula’s awards for her leadership and service include a 2019 Arthur S. Fleming Award for Outstanding Federal Employees.
She earned a Master’s in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BA in Criminal Justice from The George Washington University.
The Division of Mental Hygiene works on a range of programs and services for New Yorkers focused on mental health, substance use, developmental disabilities, and health promotion for justice-impacted populations, among others.
She assumes the role following the Adams Administration’s ambitious mental health agenda that will focus on child and family mental health, the overdose crisis, and support for New Yorkers living with serious mental illness (SMI).
Ms. Avula officially assumed the role on March 27.
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