The state’s top-ranking official for the department that serves Georgians with disabilities and mental illness will leave on Tuesday, and be replaced with an interim commissioner.
Judy Fitzgerald, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, will step down from her position on Nov. 15th. The governor’s office said Fitzgerald, who announced her retirement from state service last month, is departing is a bit earlier than she originally planned so she can spend the holidays with her family. Fitzgerald previously said her retirement would be effective at the end of the year.
In a letter to staff, Fitzgerald said that Gov. Brian Kemp has appointed Monica Johnson, Director of the Division of Behavioral Health, to serve as an interim commissioner until a permanent one is named.
“Monica is an incredible leader and the perfect person to lead the Department through this time of transition,” Fitzgerald wrote in a letter on Wednesday to her staff members. “She has been an invaluable resource to me in my six years as Commissioner and an important agent of change.”
Fitzgerald is leaving the department, more commonly referred to as DBHDD, after working there for a decade. She took over as the commissioner in 2016.
DBHDD operates state hospitals and provides community-based services, serving people with mental illness, substance use disorders, or intellectual and developmental disabilities. The department functions as the state’s safety net and is primarily responsible for serving residents who are uninsured, as well as those who are on Medicaid.
Johnson, the interim commissioner, has worked at DBHDD for the past 12 years, and led the Division of Behavioral Health. She is a licensed professional counselor who has more than 26 years of experience in the behavioral health field. She also previously served as the Director for Child & Adolescent Mental Health and as the Director for Community Mental Health.
“I have the utmost confidence in Monica’s ability to lead the Department through the transition, and I know you will join me in wishing her well and supporting her in the days ahead,” Fitzgerald wrote.
