Laurel Omland, MS, NCC, is the Director of the Child, Adolescent and Family Unit in the Vermont Department of Mental Health. She has a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Vermont and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Bates College. Her clinical experience has spanned community mental health, community outreach, intensive outpatient, and residential treatment with a focus on children, youth and families, complex trauma, and resilience development.
In her 20 years with DMH, she has sought to positively impact systems so that children, youth and their families can access quality support and services when and where they need it. She and her team pursue and oversee federal funding opportunities to further state priorities to improve the mental health of Vermont families. Current initiatives include school mental health (Project AWARE), Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) which supports the VT Consultation and Psychiatry Access Program (VTCPAP), and youth suicide prevention with the VT Department of Health (Garrett Lee Smith).
Laurel is an active member of the Child, Youth and Family division of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. She loves exploring Vermont trails, waters, mountains, and creemee stands with her husband and two school-aged children.
