The County of Wayne has announced that James M. Haitz, MSW, LCSW-R has been appointed to the position of Director of Community Mental Health Services for the Wayne County Department of Mental Health and Wayne Behavioral Health Network. Haitz served as the County Mental Health Director for nearly seven years from June 2005 to March 2012. The position has remained vacant since Haitz resigned the position this past March, and following a lengthy search process for a replacement, Haitz was chosen to again return as the department’s leader effective September 1.
In addition, Haitz has recently been appointed to serve as the Chairman for the Finger Lakes Region of the New York State Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors. The region is comprised of the nine county area including Wayne, Ontario, Seneca, Yates, Schuyler, Thompkins, Chemung, Steuben and Allegany counties.

Haitz has served for more than 26 years as a clinical practitioner and also in a variety of leadership roles in the Mental Health field. He holds an undergraduate degree in Social Work from Rochester Institute of Technology, a Masters of Social Work degree from Syracuse University, and has completed post graduate full-time study in the Ph.D. Program in Social Welfare Policy at SUNY Buffalo.

Wayne Behavioral Health Network is Wayne County’s largest treatment provider of comprehensive outpatient mental health and addiction services.