Kelly Colopy Appointed Director of Health and Human Services

LONG BEACH — On July 29, City Manager Patrick H. West announced the appointment of Kelly Colopy as director of Health and Human Services, effective Sept. 9, 2013.

Colopy has 17 years of professional experience in the field of human services, and currently manages the public mental health network in Salt Lake County, Utah, as Network Director for OptumSaltLakeCounty.

Colopy has been the Network Director of Optum SLCo, since 2012, where she manages the Medicaid Behavioral Health network of 220 service providers providing approximately $60 million in mental health and substance abuse services.  Her duties include leading a coordination of care effort to ensure consumers have access to appropriate levels of care. Colopy also served as a member of Optum SLCo’s senior leadership team.

Previously, Ms. Colopy served as associate director of the Salt Lake County Human Services and Community Services Departments, and research director for substance abuse at the Utah Department of Human Services.  She is also the board chairwoman for Utah Afterschool Network, and served on the boards of Salt Lake County Children’s Justice Center and Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum.

Colopy earned a master’s degree in Public Policy from Duke University, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Mathematics from Smith College.

Colopy is replacing Ron Arias, who retired in 2012.