Department of Mental Health Commissioner Paul Dupre is stepping down June 12, he said Wednesday.
A spokesman for Gov. Peter Shumlin said Agency of Human Services Secretary Hal Cohen is in the process of interviewing candidates to replace the outgoing commissioner.
Cohen said Wednesday that over the past few months he’s been “putting out some feelers” to compile a list of potential candidates. Interviews are ongoing, he said, and he’s hoping to find a replacement without needing to appoint an interim commissioner. However, if an interim is needed, Cohen said DMH has “some really great people,” in particular he named Deputy Commissioner Frank Reed.
Whoever is hired to replace Dupre will be the sixth DMH commissioner since Shumlin took office in 2011.
Dupre, 67, said that when Shumlin asked him to take the job in 2013, he told the governor he only intended to serve for two years to help the department implement Act 79, and make cultural changes to support Vermont’s transition to a decentralized mental health system.
After the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury was inundated during Tropical Storm Irene Shumlin and his staff decided to build a smaller replacement facility and work with hospitals and other providers to offer mental health services at facilities around the state. Act 79 lays the groundwork for the new decentralized structure.
Dupre previously led Washington County Mental Health Services, an organization he had worked for since 1978. He’s also a former city councilor and mayor of Barre.
Dupre said he’s thinking of retiring, but didn’t rule out going back to work after some time off. He said he looks forward to spending time with his family over the summer.
