Former BHDDH director, Rebecca Boss, now COO/VP at CODAC

CODAC Behavioral Healthcare announced that Rebecca Boss, former Director of the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH), has accepted the new position of Chief Operating Officer & Vice President of Strategic Development. Boss, who worked at BHDDH for 15 years and achieved national recognition, will be working to develop a new division of service for CODAC.  

Boss will lead strategic development initiatives to further the organizational mission beyond state borders, specifically Massachusetts, for service delivery and nationally for consultation and training. In her new position, Boss will oversee overall strategic development and will be responsible for implementing programing and supervising the clinical and operational aspects of the organization. Boss joins the executive leadership team with CODAC CEO Linda Hurley to establish a national consulting center

“I am so excited that Rebecca is coming back home to CODAC,” said Linda Hurley, President & CEO of CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, who was referring to Boss’ previous tenure at CODAC in 2004 as a program director. “We could see early on at CODAC that Rebecca was remarkably committed to her patients. She provided cutting edge and creative programming that would follow her to BHDDH, where she would develop the BH Link as well as other nationally recognized programs that connected people with recovery and establish peer recovery in emergency departments. We always knew she would become a national leader, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.”

During her time as the Director of BHDDH, Boss was a highly regarded leader of behavioral healthcare and developmental disabilities services with special expertise in addiction and recovery solutions. She was responsible for the management, design and delivery of statewide efforts for Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) expansion, developing national behavioral health integrated care models, and expanding recovery outreach programs. A published national speaker and presenter, Boss delivered Congressional testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S.Senate subcommittees in 2017, and oversaw a $500 million state budget.

“I am excited about the opportunity to rejoin CODAC to continue to ensure access to quality, community-based behavioral healthcare services. CODAC has continually demonstrated a commitment to its mission, the people served, and our community for nearly 50 years. Having worked with CODAC, I believe we can take our experience to a national level to have an even greater impact,” Boss said.

Honored for her service, she received several awards including the Advocate Awardfor outstanding support of the Tune In & Tune Up RI Musicians Health Awareness Program and the Karen Rosene Montella Spark Award for Innovation in Women’s Health in Rhode Island. 

She also earned the “Service Award” from the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) for outstanding service in the field of substance use disorder treatment and prevention in 2018 as well as the National Treatment Network Representative of the Year in 2016.

A resident of Harmony, RI, Boss received her MA in Counseling and Educational Psychology from Rhode Island College and her BA in Psychology from the University of Rhode Island. 

About CODAC Behavioral Healthcare

Founded in 1971, CODAC Behavioral Healthcare is Rhode Island’s oldest and largest provider of outpatient services for opioid use disorder, other substance use disorders, and concurrent behavioral health challenges. With nine locations across Rhode Island, CODAC is uniquely positioned to provide services when and where they are needed. For more information about CODAC, visit: www.codacinc.org.

Photo: JH Communications, 2018