POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro named a 35-year veteran of county government as acting mental hygiene commissioner.
Margaret Hirst, a licensed clinical social worker, replaces Dr. Kenneth Glatt, who retired recently after serving as commissioner for more than three decades.
The departments of Mental Hygiene and Health are in the process of merging
into one – the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, which
will provide a more holistic, comprehensive approach to health and mental
hygiene services.
She will serve as acting commissioner until a commissioner is named for the merged department. A national search for that position is underway.
Since 2013, Hirst served as the department’s division chief for clinical services, responsible for the clinical and administrative operation of three formerly separate clinical divisions – mental health, chemical dependency, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
