(Washington, DC) Mayor Vincent C. Gray today announced that he has appointed Deborah Carroll, Esq. as the Interim Director for the Department of Human Services (DHS). Carroll has served as the Administrator for the DHS Economic Security Administration (ESA) for the past five years. She replaces David Berns, who retired on June 28, 2014.
"Deborah has played a key leadership role in implementing DC Health Link as well as redesigning the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program," said Mayor Gray. "Appointing her as Interim Director ensures that the work in progress for the most vulnerable families of the District will continue."
Carroll, who assumed this role on June 29, is a seasoned human-services professional who has served as DHS Interim Director previously. She joined the Agency as the Administrator for ESA in 2009, and, while serving in this capacity, led the effort to design and implement a comprehensive system transformation of the District’s service-delivery model in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The program is now recognized nationally as an innovation in best practices.
Additionally, she facilitated the design and implementation of a state-of-the-art eligibility and integrated case-management system in partnership with the Department of Health Care Finance; the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, and the Health Benefit Exchange Authority. This accomplishment allowed the District to be recognized as one of four states to successfully implement the Affordable Care Act by the October 1, 2013 federal deadline.
Before joining the agency as the ESA Administrator, Carroll served as the Deputy General Counsel for DHS, and served as principal attorney for ESA. Carroll also served as the Acting General Counsel for DHS from 2006 through 2008. She is a graduate of Temple University, where she obtained her B.S. degree in therapeutic recreation. Carroll obtained her J.D. in 1991 from Temple University Law School, and afterward developed a private law practice. Throughout the course of her career, she developed expertise in health privacy, child welfare, and mental health law and practice. From 1999-2003, Carroll represented the City of Philadelphia’s Departments of Health, Behavioral Health, and Human Services. Additionally, Carroll served as legal counsel to the City of Philadelphia’s Forensic Mental Health Task Force, where she co-authored a treatise on Pennsylvania’s mental health commitment laws.
