Dr. Tom Quinn to Serve as Dutchess County’s
Deputy Commissioner of Behavioral and Community Health
Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro has announced Thomas Quinn, Ph.D., LCSW-R, a resident of Pleasant Valley, has been appointed as Dutchess County’s Deputy Commissioner for Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH). Dr. Quinn will be responsible for overseeing and directing all services and activities related to community mental health, chemical dependency, and intellectual and development disabilities. As Deputy Commissioner, Dr. Quinn will also coordinate the “Breaking Through” initiative County Executive Molinaro announced as part of the 2018 budget. The “Breaking Through” initiative will enhance Dutchess County’s focus on addressing the opioid epidemic with additional addiction and mental health initiatives and serve as a coordinated effort to address the stigma often attached to mental health and addiction issues, serving as one of the barriers to individuals getting the help they need.
Tom Quinn has more than 37 years of experience in mental health – counseling, chemical dependency, addiction treatment and veterans’ services, including nearly six years with the Dutchess County Department of Mental Hygiene.
“The need to enhance and spotlight our mental health resources is more critical than ever as we face a national opioid epidemic. Tom Quinn brings an impressive range of experience in mental health services and is a proven innovator,” said County Executive Molinaro. “As we seek to ‘Break Through’ the barriers that too often surround mental health and substance abuse issues, Dr. Quinn will help us ensure that Dutchess County is fully utilizing our wide range of tools and resources to help serve those facing mental health challenges.”
Dr. Quinn began his career at the Wassaic Developmental Center serving as Program Coordinator. He then served at the Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center for more than a decade as Rehabilitation Specialist and as Social Worker. He then joined the Dutchess County Department of Mental Hygiene (as it was previously known before merging with the Department of Health to become the Department of Behavioral and Community Health), serving in various roles in the Substance Abuse Clinic, School-Based Treatment Program, Alcohol Outpatient Treatment Clinic and the Mobile Psychiatric Outreach. He also worked for several years for the former St. Francis Hospital’s outpatient mental health and chemical dependency services counseling centers, and served as Director of Clinical Support Services for the Turning Point. Following St. Francis Hospital, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer for Hudson Valley Mental Health. He spent the last decade treating veterans for the Department of Veterans Affairs, first serving as the Program Director for Substance Abuse Services at Hudson Valley Health Care System in Montrose, NY and later as the Team Leader for Combat Veterans Readjustment Counseling Center at the Danbury Vet Center in CT. He has most recently served as Director of Addiction Services for MidHudson Regional Hospital.
Dr. Quinn is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare from the State University of New York at Albany School of Social Welfare. He also holds a Masters of Social Work from the Adelphi University School of Social Work. He has authored numerous papers for professional publications and presented to a wide range of groups and students on various topics including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Brian Injury and Addiction. He is an adjunct lecturer at Marist College and Adelphi University School of Social Work as well as the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Train the Trainer Program.
Before his long career in mental health services, Dr. Quinn served in the United States Army in combat engineer battalion of the 82nd Airborne for three years. He also operated a private practice for more than 20 years in Poughkeepsie, providing individual and group therapy including a weekly therapy group with Vietnam veterans in affiliation with a Vietnam Veterans Outreach Center.
“I am so pleased to return to Dutchess County Government and to have the opportunity to work with the talented and dedicated staff in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health. I am eager to work with DBCH Commissioner Dr. Anil Vaidian and County Executive Molinaro on the ‘Breaking Through’ initiative- connecting people with the critical resources and supports they need to find hope, and to achieve healing and recovery,” said Dr. Quinn.
Dr. Quinn will begin serving as Deputy Commissioner in mid-January.
