Gary M. Blau, Ph.D. Biography

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Gary M. Blau, PhD, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the founder of  “Gary M. Blau, Ph.D. & Associates.” He is also  Executive Director Emeritus of The Hackett Center for Mental Health and a Senior Fellow for Children’s Mental Health for the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. With over 30 years of experience as a leader in the field of child, youth, and family mental health, Dr. Blau most recently served as the Senior Advisor for Children, Youth and Families in the Office of the Assistant Secretary at the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). He had previously served as Chief of the Child, Adolescent and Family Branch for SAMHSA where he provided national leadership for child, adolescent, and young adult mental health, and created “systems of care” across the United States.

Prior to his return to SAMHSA, Dr. Blau was the Executive Director of The Hackett Center for Mental Health, the first regional center of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. After two highly successful years of growing The Hackett Center, Dr. Blau was ‘detailed’ to SAMHSA as the Senior Advisor. Dr. Blau also served as the Bureau Chief for Quality Management and Director of Mental Health at the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), and the Director of Clinical Services for the Child and Family Agency of Southeastern, Connecticut. He has been acknowledged as the “father” of Youth M.O.V.E. (Youth Motivating Others through Voices of Experience), which now has over 70 chapters nationwide, and as the “founder” of the “National Building Bridges Initiative (BBI),” which is focused on improving outcomes for youth who receive residential interventions.

Dr. Blau is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Connecticut Governor’s Service Award, the Phoebe Bennet Award for outstanding contribution to children’s mental health in Connecticut, and the Making a Difference Award presented by Connecticut’s Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health. He was also proud that upon the occasion of his leaving Connecticut, the Governor proclaimed December 12, 2003, as ‘Dr. Gary Blau Day.” For his national work, Dr. Blau received the HHS Secretary’s Award for Meritorious Service for his national leadership in children’s mental health, and he was the first recipient of the Rock Star Award, presented by Youth M.O.V.E. National, for “being a true champion for the youth movement and advocate for youth voice.” This award has now been named the “Dr. Gary Blau Award” and is given yearly to a mental health professional who has distinguished themselves as a voice for youth.

Dr. Blau has over 70 professional publications and is the editor of nine books. He previously held a Clinical Faculty appointment at the Yale Child Study Center and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Louis A. Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health. He continues to hold an appointment as an Adjunct Clinical Professor at the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Blau received his B.A. degree in psychology from the University of South Florida (USF), and he was a recipient of the 2021 USF Distinguished Undergraduate Psychology Alumni Award, “In Recognition of Contributions to the Field of Psychology.” He received his doctorate from Auburn University. He is proud to be married to his wife for over 41 years and they have two adult children and six grandchildren.