The board of directors of the Capital Area Human Services (CAHS) announced the appointment of its interim executive director, Jan Laughinghouse, PhD, LCSW-BACS, as the agency’s new executive director. The appointment is effective immediately.
Laughinghouse served as interim executive director for the past seven months, after the retirement of Jan Kasofsky, PhD, who served as the behavioral health agency’s leader for 23 years.
According to CAHS Board Chair Gerri Hobdy, “The board unanimously appointed Dr. Laughinghouse based on her excellent credentials and demonstrated capacity to lead CAHS during these unprecedented times of uncertainty. The board’s vote demonstrates its confidence in her abilities to assure that our most vulnerable populations receive quality care and services.”
Upon the board’s decision, Laughinghouse said, “It is an honor to lead Capital Area Human Services in its mission of delivering quality care and responsive services that lead to a better tomorrow for those we serve. I will continue to partner with our stakeholders and other community leaders to help individuals with behavioral health needs and developmental disabilities through innovation and improving access to services.”
Laughinghouse joined the agency in 2014 and served as addiction recovery program director of CAHS’s Addiction Recovery Services Division. She received a doctoral degree in human development and family studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is a licensed clinical social worker and board-approved clinical supervisor.
Laughinghouse is known in the region for her knowledge of addiction and the stigmas related to addiction. She has developed effective strategies for serving specialized populations affected by behavioral health issues, including women, veterans, and individuals experiencing trauma and chronic homelessness. She was instrumental in developing the Community-Wide Response Plan to the Opioid Epidemic and in establishing the agency’s Medication-Assisted Treatment Program.
CAHS provides mental health, addiction recovery, and developmental disabilities services in the following seven parishes: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana.