New Behavioral Health director ready for rising mental health needs
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton has hired a longtime mental health professional to oversee its Behavioral Health Services.
Ryan Fields has over 17 years of leadership experience in behavioral health services, including at East Orange General Hospital and Atlanticare Regional Medical Center. He is an Approved Clinical Supervisor by the Center for Credentialing and Education Incorporated and a Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey. He is a National Certified Counselor experienced in overseeing all levels of behavioral health services.
Fields embraces servant leadership while offering the highest level of service. At Catholic Charities, he will be responsible for the strategic direction, overall management and coordination of mental health programs. That includes addiction-recovery treatment, outpatient counseling, housing for individuals with chronic mental illness, supported employment services and more.
“I’m excited to join the team at Catholic Charities, which treats the whole person to ensure their long-term stability,” Fields said, referring to the agency’s holistic approach to meet a client’s every need.
Pandemic’s impact
The need for behavioral health services has skyrocketed during the ongoing pandemic. That makes Fields’ position critical as the community faces rising rates of depression, anxiety, social isolation, addiction and other mental health challenges.
“A lot of people are suffering from mental and emotional stressors, whether that’s school loss, job loss, kids whose sports seasons have been canceled – so much more,” Fields said. “This is a period of loss for all of us.”
He added: “I’m somebody who looks at every day as a gift. This pandemic has made me more aware of what I have to be appreciative of and that life is not to be taken for granted.”
Fields has a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and a Master’s degree in clinical psychology from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He lives in Ocean County with his wife Therese and their three daughters Francesca, Ava and Rosalie. He enjoys watching his daughters swim competitively, spending weekends relaxing at the beach, exercising and watching sports with his family – especially the Philadelphia Eagles.
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For more information, contact Dana DiFilippo, Catholic Charities communications, at [email protected] or (215) 756-6277 (cell).
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