Mark Mitchell, PhD
Professional Affiliations
Mark received his
doctoral degree from the
University of
Massachusetts (Amherst),
School of Public Health
and Health Sciences in
Psychiatric Epidemiology
and Health Policy and
Management. He also is a
certified Medical
Bio-Ethicist. Mark
worked for over 30 years
in mental health and
retardation services for
the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts,
Department of Mental
Health; serving his
final 12 years as the
Deputy Director for
Western Massachusetts.
Since relocating to
Hawaii, Mark has worked
as the Chief Executive
Officer and a member of
the Board of Trustees
for Sutter Health
Pacific dba Kahi Mohala
Hospital and Behavioral
Healthcare in Hawaii. He
also is the Past
President of the Hawaii
Behavioral Health
Coalition. Mark is
currently working as a
private consultant and
Principle of MARCON
Consulting, LLC, as well
as working
collaboratively with the
Federal Department of
Justice as the Hawaii
Department of Public
Safety, Mental Health
Branch Administrator. In
this latter capacity, he
is working to resolve a
class action Settlement
Agreement for Mental
Health Services in the
Jails and Prisons
throughout the state.
Mark also serves as the
President of the Board
of Directors for Ho’omau
Ke Ola (the only
substance abuse agency
specializing in serving
native Hawaiians), as
well as on various task
forces (State Mental
Health Transformation
Grant, Psychiatric
Services Subcommittee of
the State Health
Planning and Development
Authority, etc).
NARMH Positions and Projects
As a current board
member, Mark is serving
as an Associate Editor
for the Journal of Rural
Mental Health. Past
activities have included
serving as President,
President-Elect,
Treasurer, State Liaison
Coordinator, as well as
participation on the
Membership Committee and
the Rural Mental Health
Policy Committee. He
also has worked with
other board members on
the SAMHSA sponsored and
published “Rural Mental
Health Outreach Research
Project”.
Rural Mental Health Involvement and Contributions
Mark has worked on
the closing of two large
state institutions,
replacing them with
comprehensive community
mental health and
retardation services. He
has developed a
telepsychiatry
evaluation program to
assess mental health
needs for patients in
the Emergency Rooms of
general hospitals
located on the rural
“outer” islands.
Additionally, he has
worked as a mental
health systems
consultant to several
states (including
Montana, Arizona,
Wyoming, Maine,
Tennessee and South
Carolina), overseas
(Poland, Russia,
Bulgaria, Hungary and
Rumania), and in Canada.
Mark also has served as
an expert witness in the
Maine Settlement
Agreement and on the
Commonwealth of
Massachusetts Public
Health Rural Advisory
Board. Mark participated
in the State of Hawaii’s
Children’s Caucus and
Mental Health Court
Caucus, the Lt.
Governor’s Substance
Abuse Taskforce, as well
as on the Legislative
Task Force for Forensic
Mental Health.
