Mayor London N. Breed today appointed Dr. Anton Nigusse Bland to serve as Director of Mental Health Reform. In this new role created by Mayor Breed, Dr. Nigusse Bland will be responsible for reviewing how San Francisco provides mental health and substance use services to homeless individuals, and making recommendations on how to reform the system.

Mayor Breed announced the creation of this new position during her State of the City Address. Dr. Nigusse Bland is a UCSF psychiatrist who currently serves as the Medical Director for Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) at Zuckerberg San Francisco General. In his new position, he will report to Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s Director of Health. 

“I am proud to appoint Dr. Anton Nigusse Bland to serve as San Francisco’s Director of Mental Health Reform. It is no secret we face serious challenges around mental health in our city, and while I am committed to expanding our mental health and substance use stabilization beds, we must also make sure that we are utilizing our resources effectively and not letting people fall through the cracks,” said Mayor Breed. “Dr. Nigusse Bland will bring his extensive history working in San Francisco’s mental health system to help us reform and improve our approach to getting people the help they need.”