Janet Schalansky, Secretary, Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, announced the appointment of Mark Schutter, Ph.D., as superintendent of Larned State Hospital, effective April 2, 2001.

For nearly seven years, Schutter worked for the Hastings Regional Center, in Hastings, Nebraska, where he began his career as a staff psychologist in the Neurogeriatric Services unit.

Schutter held several positions while at the center. After acting as the director of Rehabilitative Services, he moved on to become the director of the General Psychiatric Services Program, where he was primarily responsible for administrative and clinical oversight. In the fall of 1999, he also began directing the Department of Psychology, where he managed administrative oversight, recruitment, professional development, and professional supervision of clinical psychologists and allied staff.

Secretary Schalansky said she was happy to welcome Schutter to the agency. "His strong background in the mental health field and in leadership positions will be an asset to our state’s mental health facilities."

Schutter replaces Mani Lee, Ph.D., who retired as Larned State Hospital’s superintendent earlier this year. Lee began serving as the hospital’s superintendent in January 1992, and was employed with SRS for more than 18 years. This mental health facility houses nearly 300 beds, 173 of which are state security hospital beds, and treats an average of 240 people each day.

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001