Wayne Young

Wayne Young currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD (The Harris Center), the state-designated Local Mental Health Authority and Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority for Harris County. As the CEO of the largest behavioral and developmental disability care center in Texas, Mr. Young oversees the planning and delivery of behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disabilities services to over 88,000 people per year and manages an annual budget of over $270 million.

Prior to joining The Harris Center, Mr. Young served as the Senior Vice President of Behavioral Health and Administrator of Trinity Springs Pavilion and Trinity Springs North for JPS Health Network in Ft. Worth, Texas. He also previously served as the regional executive director of a managed behavioral healthcare organization and held other leadership positions within the behavioral health and insurance industries.

Mr. Young currently serves as the chair of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Behavioral Health Advisory Council, and has served in leadership roles in various professional organizations such as the American Hospital Association and the Texas Hospital Association. In addition, Mr. Young has served on numerous boards, including those of the Institute for Behavioral Health Improvement and Mental Health America of Tarrant County.

Mr. Young received a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies as well as a Master of Education in Community Counseling from Texas Tech University. Subsequently, he completed a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Healthcare Administration from the University of Dallas. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).