Composition

Capital Area Human Services is governed by a 17-member Board of Directors. The Board is comprised of 12 members (two residents from each of the following parishes: Ascension, East Feliciana, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana) and another five members who are residents of East Baton Rouge Parish. The members are appointed by the governor from among a list of qualified candidates nominated by the governing authority of each parish. The candidates from Ascension Parish are nominated by the parish president.

Expertise

Louisiana law stipulates that the Board members represent certain behavioral health care fields as follows:

• Two members with professional expertise in the field of mental health,
• Two members with professional expertise in the field of addictive disorders,
• Two members with professional expertise in the field of developmental disabilities,
• One member with professional expertise in finance, accounting, business enterprise, or auditing,
• One member with professional expertise in the field of public health,
• One member who represents the judiciary, with particular emphasis on specialty courts,
• Two members who represent law enforcement, school-based healthcare, public health, or the coroner’s office based on the needs of the respective appointing parishes,
• Two members who are parents, consumers, or advocates in the field of mental health,
• Two members who are parents, consumers, or advocates in the field of addictive disorders, and
• Two members who are parents, consumers, or advocates in the field of developmental disabilities.

Appointment and Terms

All Board members are appointed by the Governor, and all appointments must be submitted to the Louisiana Senate for confirmation. Each member serves a three-year term, and no member shall serve more than three consecutive three-year terms (nine consecutive years). All board members serve without compensation, however reimbursement for travel and mileage is allow, as funds are available.