Emily Sherwood, B.A., M.P.A.

Emily Sherwood dedicated her career to working for social change, from early days as a community organizer to many years working on health and mental health policy for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Emily’s most recent role was deputy commissioner for child, youth and family services for the Department of Mental Health. Previous positions include the director of the Office of Behavioral Health at MassHealth and director of the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI) where she led the implementation of a statewide system of home-based mental health services for children, youth and families.

Previously, as research director for the House of Representatives’ Health Care Finance Committee, she and her staff drafted the legislation creating Massachusetts’ landmark 2006 Health Care Reform. She also served as research director of the Legislature’s Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs for seven years. Other areas of activism have included marriage equality and faith-based anti-racism work.