Georgia Department of Corrections Appoints Dr. Kathryn Haynes Owen as New Statewide Mental Health Director

The Georgia Department of Corrections is stepping up its game in mental health services, with a new appointment that's turning heads. Kathryn Haynes Owen, Ph.D., has taken the helm as the statewide Mental Health Director, a position she stepped into just on Sunday. With hefty responsibilities including the planning, organization, and coordination of mental health services, Dr. Owen is poised to make a significant impact on the well-being of those within the GDC's facilities.

"Dr. Owen brings a wealth of experience in delivering mental health services within correctional facilities," stated Commissioner Tyrone Oliver in an official release. The Georgia Department of Corrections seems, committed to not only meeting but exceeding both community and national standards with their mental health programs, and they see Dr. Owen as the key to this ambition. Her background aligns with this mission. After all, Owen has been in the trenches of psychological care, in both private and federal settings.

Her résumé reads like a road map through the country's correctional system's therapeutic needs. Returning to the federal sector in 2018 after a year directing a program at New Friends Life, she's tackled roles that span from Staff Psychologist to Drug Abuse Program Coordinator, and even Acting Chief Psychologist. By 2024, she'd risen to Chief Psychologist, where her responsibilities expanded to include a myriad of treatments ranging from substance abuse to severe mental illness, as detailed by GDC's official release.

Educationally, Dr. Owen is well-equipped with a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Psychology. She's licensed in Alabama, though undoubtedly her expertise will now be channeled into the Georgia correctional system. Her affiliations are notable too, with memberships in both the American Psychological Association and Psychologists in Public Service, indicating a commitment that resonates well beyond the state's borders.