County Appoints Second Interim Behavioral Health Director in Two Months
The county announced Tuesday that its homeless services director will temporarily lead the county’s Behavioral Health Services Department when the current interim director retires this week.
In late August, Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton fired then-director Nadia Privara at the same time the county released misconduct records following a Voice of San Diego lawsuit. The county assigned longtime Health and Human Services Agency executive Jennifer Bransford-Koons, whose last day at the county is Oct. 29, to serve as the department’s interim leader.
On Oct. 30, 25-year county veteran Dijana Beck will take over as the new interim director and Brigit Cooper, another longtime Health and Human Services Agency official, will temporarily lead the Office of Homeless Solutions.
The longer-term plan: County spokesperson Tammy Glenn wrote that the county will conduct a national search for a permanent director and “coordinate with stakeholders” along the way.
Written by Lisa Halverstadt, Senior Investigative Reporter | October 28, 2026 | Voice of San Diego
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