The human brain has been an interest of Dr. H. Jean Wright II since he was a kid.
“I was that 12-year-old nerd that went to the mall, and instead of buying sneakers or hanging out with friends, I was almost certainly people-watching,” he said. “I was always interested in human behavior.”
After a short stint studying orthopedic medicine in college, Wright pivoted to psychology. A career in public behavioral health felt like a natural progression, Wright said, as he followed in the footsteps of his father, who was a trained psychologist, public servant and minister.
Now, as the city Health Department’s new top mental health official and years into New York’s persistent mental health crisis, Wright says effective behavioral health treatment, including for substance abuse and serious mental illness, all comes down to understanding trauma.
Wright, a longtime public behavioral health expert, joined the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in April to oversee mental health initiatives. He’s tasked with leading the agency through some of the city’s most pressing challenges: a record-high overdose crisis, staggering rates of depression and anxiety among kids and teens, and widespread mental illness among the city’s homeless population.
Public pressure to address the crisis is elevated, in light of high-profile attacks in the subway system by individuals with serious mental illness and police violence against people in distress. That pressure has led to some turnover; Wright succeeds former executive deputy commissioner Deepa Avula, who had stepped into the role a little over a year ago.
Wright brings to the job two decades of experience as a public behavioral health official. Before coming to New York, he spent nearly three years as Philadelphia’s deputy commissioner of behavioral health and intellectual disability services. Before that, he directed behavioral health and justice initiatives in Philly.
Trained in forensic psychology, Wright spent over 10 years developing mental health programs for people leaving state psychiatric hospitals and county jails. He learned early that many individuals behind bars are bright and talented and have hopes and dreams that just haven’t yet come to fruition. But they had experienced some sort of trauma that derailed their life course. Understanding that trauma broke down barriers to treatment, he said.
“People are just people,” Wright said. “We need to get past the labels we put on one another.”
Faith and community play a big role in Wright’s career. He is a public speaker who frequently makes appearances at religious events and conferences. He’s also the author of Find Strength in Your Struggle, which explores the relationship between spirituality and mental health challenges.
As he settles into his new role, Wright is focused on the overdose epidemic, high rates of suicide and access to mental health treatment. The commissioner is also prioritizing youth mental health challenges, attempting to fulfill one of the central focuses of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.
Wright says he’s excited to address behavioral health challenges in New York, a city he has looked to as a model for mental health care.
“Behavioral health encompasses not just folks that have challenges with mental illness and substance use, but so many other things,” Wright said. “New York has a very, very good history of supporting individuals in that space.”
Amanda D'Ambrosio , 2024-05-30 12:03:03
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