Bill J. Crouch, Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Tuesday announced the appointment of Christina Mullins as his deputy secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders.
This appointment is effective immediately and is part of DHHR’s restructuring effort. As deputy secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, Mullins will oversee DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health and the Office of Drug Control Policy.
DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health is the federally designated state authority for mental health and substance use disorder as well as the lead agency for intellectual and developmental disabilities. DHHR’s Office of Drug Control Policy monitors drug overdose surveillance and provides access to complete and timely data while assisting communities in targeting prevention and response efforts.
Mullins has a long tenure with DHHR most recently serving as the commissioner of DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health since 2018. She was previously the director of the Office of Maternal, Child, and Family Health; Director of the Division of Infant, Child and Adolescent Health; and served as the director for the West Virginia Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program; and the associate director for the Division of Tobacco Prevention, all within the Bureau for Public Health.
“Christina knows the ins and outs of mental health in West Virginia, as well as the substance use disorder issues we face in the state,” said Crouch. “She is well aware of the issues that accompany this addiction and has an excellent working relationship with Dr. Matthew Christiansen, director of DHHR’s Office of Drug Control Policy. Christina has the unique capacity to understand and analyze the data and will use it to make well-informed decisions to move West Virginia forward.”
She is a graduate of Marshall University, earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology.
“As a lifelong resident of West Virginia, I have seen firsthand how addiction and mental health disorders have affected our communities, but have also seen how West Virginians can make a difference when they work together toward a common goal,” said Mullins. “Gov. Justice and Secretary Crouch have made clear that addressing these issues are a priority and I will work hard to continue implementing data driven strategies to help our communities be healthier.”
Mullins is the second deputy secretary named following the organizational study of DHHR by the McChrystal Group, at the direction of Justice.
