Requiem for a DMH Director

Michael Moseley resigned as DMH Director yesterday, two days before the start of a Raleigh News & Observer investigative series on “Mental Disorder: The Failure of Mental Health Reform.” It is hard to believe that the timing is mere coincidence. As the video trailer for the series (http://videos.newsobserver.com/index.php?a=player&id=1730241) says, “Hundreds of millions of dollars wasted. . . Dozens of avoidable deaths. . . Six months of News & Observer investigation.” For a DMH Director to stay in the job at this moment, there would have to be confidence that his record could withstand the scrutiny sure to come in the next week.

Mike Moseley was appointed DMH Director by a DHHS Secretary who was stubborn, self-righteous, and determined to keep control of mental health policy. In mental health, there is no evidence she tolerated independent thinking and professional integrity.

Mike was always courteous and pleasant. But he was a careerist and no one could accuse him of being a hard-driving, effective leader. Always loyal to the party line, he was reluctant to accept evidence that things were not going well. He did what it took to keep his job. And when Secretary Benton, an honorable and able man, took control of DMH’s State Operated Services from Moseley, he signaled his attitude toward Moseley’s leadership on issues that matter.

Moseley leaves behind a discredited DMH leadership. It will be hard to fill this position in the last year of a gubernatorial term. We should continue to support Secretary Benton as he fills this position, and in his efforts to do what he can to improve mental health and substance abuse care in North Carolina.