NEW CASTLE — Delaware Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Molly Magarik on Monday announced leadership changes for three divisions in the department.

Ms. Magarik said the changes will help DHSS embrace the goals in the agency’s draft strategic plan, “Achieving the Vision: Person-Centered Health and Human Services in Delaware.”

The changes include:

• Tom Hall, who has served as acting director of the Division of Social Services since April, has been named division director, effective Monday. Mr. Hall joined DSS in 2006 as a social services administrator, with policy oversight of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, refugee assistance, emergency assistance and general assistance programs. He was promoted to social services chief administrator in March 2014 and became deputy director in 2015. As acting director and deputy director, Mr. Hall led the effort — in concert with child care providers, other stakeholders and DHSS’ budget team — to complete a child care market rate survey for the division’s Purchase of Care subsidized child care program, which supports about 14,000 children and their families. Based on that survey, which was completed in February — and with the support of the General Assembly and Gov. John Carney — those rates were raised as of July 1.

• Marcella Spady, who has served as acting deputy director for DSS since May, has been named deputy division director. She began her career with DSS in 1994 as a seasonal social worker case manager before promotions to a merit senior social worker case manager and a social worker case manager supervisor. In 2007, Ms. Spady was promoted to social service administrator over the Customer Relations Unit and, three months later, became senior social administrator for the division’s Area 2. In 2014, she joined the modernization project as a subject matter expert and tester for the ASSIST system and was part of the team that implemented that system in 2015. In January 2016, Ms. Spady was assigned to the Program and Policy Development Unit as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program policy administrator. Through that experience, Ms. Spady helped DHSS file a series of successful applications and waivers with the federal government for expanded food benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Steven Costantino, who served as DHSS’ director of health care reform in the secretary’s office, will serve as acting director for the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Tuesday through the end of the month. Mr. Constantino came to DHSS in May 2017 after serving as commissioner of the Department of Vermont Health Access and as Medicaid director.
• Joanna Champney, who serves as chief of planning, research and reentry at the Delaware Department of Correction, will join DHSS on Aug. 2 as director of DSMAH. During her tenure at DOC, Ms. Champney established and led its Office of Reentry. Most recently, Ms. Champney oversaw implementation of several large federal grants that supported system improvement, program evaluation and cognitive behavioral therapy and vocational training for incarcerated people. Ms. Champney also implemented compliance tracking processes for provision of clinical care to incarcerated people who have mental illness and was instrumental in the recent redesign of DOC’s Road to Recovery (R2R) initiative.
• Michele Stant, formerly deputy director of the Division of Management Services, was named chief of staff for the secretary’s office. Her first day was July 5. She will oversee communications, constituent relations, Freedom of Information Act requests and special projects. Ms. Stant replaces Gabriela Kejner, who left to work for the Department of Justice.

• Alexis Bryan-Dorsey, who had served as chief of administration for the Division of Medicaid & Medical Assistance since 2017, has been named deputy director for DMS. She began her new role July 5. Ms. Bryan-Dorsey will oversee the Financial Management, Contracts Management & Procurement and Quality Control units in DMS.
• Rebecca Reichardt, who has been chief of administration in the Office of Management and Budget since 2018, will join DHSS on Sunday as deputy director for DMS. She has previously supported DHSS in a variety of roles with the Division of Services for Aging and Adults With Physical Disabilities, the Division of Public Health and the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services. Ms. Reichardt will oversee the Budget & Revenue Management, Grants Management and Audit & Recovery Management units in DMS.