Dr. Patricia McKernan is the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  She is responsible for the strategic vision, policy execution, and operational performance across complex public sector service systems that include aging, children and youth, veterans, mental health, developmental disabilities, early intervention, substance use disorder, public health, and childcare.  Dr. McKernan oversees a more than $470 million budget, large multidisciplinary teams, and contracted provider networks to ensure high-quality, equitable, and fiscally accountable service delivery.   She advises senior elected officials and executive leadership on strategic priorities, regulatory compliance, and system performance.  She is responsible for long-range planning to advance public health and human services outcomes.

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Dr. McKernan came to Montgomery County as a non-profit executive with more than 25 years of progressive experience in leadership, operational management, and program development.  She previously served as Chief Operating Officer/Chief of Staff for Gaudenzia, Inc; a non-profit organization providing substance use disorder treatment to individuals and families across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Washington DC. Dr. McKernan previously served as Chief Operating Officer for Volunteers of America Delaware Valley for more than 20 years. Volunteers of America provides services to individuals experiencing homelessness, individuals with intellectual disabilities, people struggling with substance use disorder and mental illness, veterans. and people returning home from the criminal justice system. 

Dr. McKernan is known as a thought leader. She was President of the Reentry Coalition of New Jersey where she served in leadership roles for more than 15 years.  She was appointed by Governor Christie to the Board of Social Work Examiners in 2014, where she served for nearly 10 years.  She has served as Board Member for various non-profit organizations serving individuals with intellectual disabilities, families affected by domestic violence, and people who are housing insecure. She is a licensed social worker who received her Bachelor of Arts from Trenton State College and her Masters and Doctorate in Social Work from Rutgers University.  She has published articles on the intersection of prisoner reentry and homelessness and the impact of legal financial obligations on people who are justice-involved. Wanted for Warrants was her multi-media project for 2018.