MORGAN 
JILL BOWEN, PhD
BATHGATE

COMMISSIONER, DBHIDS

Dr. Jill Bowen was appointed in 2020 to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral 
Morgan Bathgate is a college student at Messiah University studying Psychology. She 
graduated in 2020 from Mechanicsburg Area Senior High where she also played water 
Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS). She is responsible for overseeing the $1 
polo, swam competitively, played violin, maintained a 4.0 GPA and took six Advanced 
billion healthcare agency, comprised of seven unique divisions: Administration and Finance; 
Placement (AP) classes.
Planning and Innovation; Community Behavioral Health; Intellectual disAbility Services; Behavioral 
Health; Division of Behavioral Health and Justice; and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer.
She was diagnosed with Autism when she was 3 years old. Morgan likes to remind people 
that she may think differently, learn differently and at times struggle to focus—but she 
Dr. Bowen joined DBHIDS in 2018 as the Deputy Commissioner for Administration and Finance, 
embraces her extraordinary abilities. She is different—but not less.
ensuring the organization thrives administratively, financially, and operationally.
Morgan describes herself as family oriented, artsy, techie, bookish, musical and 
adventurous. She loves nature, animals, video games and drawing.
Dr. Bowen has more than 30 years of experience in behavioral health services and management. 
Dr. Bowen has an extensive track record in staff development and training, organizational 
management, and strategic planning. Prior to joining DBHIDS, she was Senior Adviser for 
Mental Health with the Office of the Mayor in New York City. In this role, Dr. Bowen oversaw the 
implementation of “Thrive NYC,” a mental health initiative launched by New York City’s first lady 
Chirlane McCray in November 2015. Thrive NYC invested $850 million over four years and includes 
54 initiatives designed to change the mental health system in New York City. She has previously 
held senior leadership positions as Assistant Vice President/Chief Transformation Officer for NYC 
Health +Hospital’s Behavioral Health Services, and at Kings County Hospital as Senior Associate 
Executive Director for Organizational Innovation and Excellence, as well as for Kings County 
Hospital’s Behavioral Health Services.

Trained as a clinical psychologist, she received her doctoral degree at the Derner Institute for 
Advanced Psychological Studies/Adelphi University. Her work has included direct care as 
a member of an interdisciplinary clinical team and supervisory work in clinical and forensic 
psychology. She was the Deputy Director of the Forensic Psychiatry Service at Kings County 
Hospital Center before moving on to work as a senior leader within Behavioral Health, focusing on 
strategic planning and process improvement. 

She is gold-level-trained in lean improvement methodology and played a significant role in 
the development of initiatives that contributed to wide-ranging behavioral health clinical and 
operational improvements at Kings County Hospital Center. She is a frequent lecturer, and co-
editor and co-author of the first book exclusively devoted to mental health and lean healthcare, 
Lean Behavioral Health.