VA Rocky Mountain Network (VISN 19) announced today that Dr. Michael Potoczniak has been selected as the region’s chief mental health officer.

In his role as chief mental health officer, Dr. Potoczniak oversees the comprehensive planning, coordination and improvement of mental health and suicide prevention services across the network. This role involves working with mental health leaders and senior management at all sites to develop and implement effective programs. He is responsible for ensuring high- quality inpatient and outpatient care, community-based mental health services, and psychology services.VISN 19 serves more than 750,000 eligible Veterans at eight health care systems, and more than100 additional sites of care.

“Every Veteran deserves integrated and high-quality mental health care,” said VISN 19 Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr. Susan Bray-Hall. “I am excited for Dr. Potoczniak—whose expertise in patient satisfaction, service quality, efficiency, and resource management spans civilian, military and academic health care—to spearhead mental health services for Veterans in the VA Rocky Mountain Network.”

Dr. Potoczniak began his tenure with VA in 2011 as a program director in Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs at VA Palo Alto, where he managed outpatient, residential, and inpatient treatment and admissions for substance use disorders. Headvanced to take on the VA roles of supervisory psychologist and Mental Health Program manager.

Dr. Potoczniak, a U.S. Army Veteran, deployed twice, including from 2015 to 2016 as the behavioral health lead for U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM). He was stationed in regions including Afghanistan, Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait.

From 2017 to 2019, Dr. Potoczniak contributed to national policy as a commissioner on the Creating Options for Veterans’ Expedited Recovery (COVER) Commission. This commission evaluated therapy treatment models used by VA for Veterans’ mental health and provided recommendations that contributed to significant policy advancements, including the passage of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, which broadens mental health care and suicide prevention programs and improves access options for Veterans.

In May 2020, Dr. Potoczniak was appointed associate chief of staff for Mental Health at Loma Linda VA Healthcare System. He undertook a year-long detail as deputy chief of staff from April 2022 to May 2023. Additionally, from August 2023 to February 2024, he served in an acting capacity as chief mental health officer for VISN 19.

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About VISN 19: The VA Rocky Mountain Network is one of 18 geographic Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) across the United States, and consists of eight health care systems in Colorado, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming, and portions of Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, and Texas, spanning more than 540,000 square miles, the largest geographic area in the continental United States. VISN 19 is responsible for planning, budgeting and health care delivery to more than 750,000 eligible Veterans in the region.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jason Strickland, VISN 19 Chief Communications Officer
[email protected]
303-619-1145

Kayla Giuliano, VISN 19 Deputy Communications Officer
[email protected]
970-314-6582