United Counseling Service Names Ryan Murphy, MSW, Chief Program Officer

Ryan Murphy, MSW, formerly Director of Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Use Services at United Counseling Service, now serves as Chief Program Officer, and will oversee the agency’s Children, Youth and Family Services and Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Use Services divisions.

“Ryan has shown exceptional leadership and a deep passion for the people and programs that make UCS so impactful,” said Lorna Mattern, CEO of UCS. “In this new role, Ryan will help guide the strategic direction of our services, ensuring we continue to meet the evolving needs of our community.”

Before coming to UCS, Murphy worked for the State of Vermont as District Director of the Rutland Area Office of Child Protection Services. He earned his Master of Social Work from Simmons College in Boston, MA, and Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Boston University. Murphy worked in several management roles in child protection in the United Kingdom for 14 years before returning with his family to the United States in 2022 to resume his lifelong passion of working within adult mental health and substance use services.

United Counseling Service (UCS) is a private, non-profit community mental health center that has been an essential part of Bennington County’s integrated healthcare system since 1958. The organization has been designated as a Center of Excellence by Vermont Care Partners. UCS promotes healthy lifestyles through all its programs and offers care at 15 different facilities, including two primary outpatient facilities in Bennington and Manchester. UCS provides outpatient counseling and addiction services, emergency mental health services, extensive rehabilitation services, home and school-based services, employment services for people recovering from mental illness or with developmental disabilities, and early childhood services.  For more information visit www.ucsvt.org.