South Lane Mental Health has hired Damien Sands to become its new executive director, starting Jan. 2, 2018. Sands, a program officer for Oregon Community Foundation, will succeed Tom Wheeler, who has been at the helm of the agency for the last 25 years.
Sands has extensive experience in the health and human services field, serving at local, county, and state levels. Prior to becoming a Southern Willamette Valley program officer for Oregon Community Foundation, Sands was the executive director of the Wellness & Education Board of Central Oregon, overseeing administration of the regional strategic goals and quality improvement measures for behavioral health, public health, and Early Learning Council in the Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson tricounty area. He was a senior policy analyst for Oregon Health Authority’s Addictions and Mental Health Division, a public health contract manager for Lane County Health & Human Services, and a program manager at Looking Glass Community Services. He began his career more than 20 years ago as a caseworker for Janus Youth Programs in Portland, working in a residential setting with youth mandated to care or post-care from all state youth correctional facilities.
“Joining South Lane Mental Health is truly a special opportunity,” Sands said. “I know I have big shoes to fill. But I feel really blessed that I will be working with such an outstanding staff that is truly clientcentered. And I’m excited to become part of the Cottage Grove community.”
To ensure a smooth transition, Wheeler and Sands will be working together through the first part of 2018. Wheeler joined South Lane Mental Health in 1992. At that time, there were five staff and 50 clients. Under Wheeler’s leadership, the agency has grown to 105 employees serving 2,600 individuals and families a year.
“The current healthcare environment requires creativity, innovation, and strong leadership,” said Jim Harrison, South Lane Mental Health’s Board Chair. “We are confident that Damien’s background and experience will help ensure that we can continue to grow and serve the needs of our clients and our community well into the future.”
South Lane Mental Health, established in 1988, provides counseling, crisis response, substance use disorder services, and case and medication management for more than 2,600 Cottage Grove area adults and children each year. South Lane Mental Health also provides housing and support for individuals with persistent and severe mental illness so they can live as independently as possible in the community. In addition to several offices in Cottage Grove, South Lane Mental Health has an office in Springfield, and also serves residents of North Douglas County. To learn more about South Lane Mental Health, visit www.slmh.org.
