New Mental Health Division Director Named

Chris De Villeneuve has been named the Division Director of Mental Health Services for Catholic Charities (CC). With 25 years in the field of behavioral health and primary care, Chris brings a wealth of experience to his new position.

A former CC Board member, he is familiar with the agency, and is impressed with the depth of services provided.

“I think that there are some really unique opportunities here that are great,” Chris says. “There are many opportunities to expand, but also to define the identity of Catholic Charities. We are often compared to other behavioral health providers, but I think Catholic Charities is unique among them because there is a real focus on children and families, which I’m really drawn to. I think we can do some work where we are much more partnered with the Diocese and with each of the different churches. That’s something I’d like to see us do – have more presence and provide services to the Catholic community.”

Chris was most recently the Executive Director of the Student Medical and Counseling Clinic at Central Washington University for three years. He was with Comprehensive Mental Health for 15 years, serving as the Director of Mental Health in their Sunnyside office for seven years, and was part of the hostage negotiating team with the Yakima Police Department for 13 years. He also played a part in setting up the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Washington State. “Coming here really fills some new opportunities and challenges. I’m looking forward to working across such a vast geographic area, but also to have that opportunity to bring each of the different sites together and to provide consistent behavior health services. That will be the fun part.” he says.