Colleen Merlo Named CEO of Mental Health Agency

RONKONKOMA, NY – November 30 - The Association for Mental Health and Wellness (MHAW), a primary not-for-profit provider of mental health-related services in Suffolk County, has named Colleen Merlo to the position of CEO.

Ms. Merlo, a licensed social worker and a Rocky Point resident, has worked for more than twenty years in the not-for-profit sector, focusing on issues of violence, mental health, gender equity, and poverty.

She replaces Michael Stoltz, who had served for thirty years as executive director of MHAW and its predecessor organization, Clubhouse of Suffolk, Inc.

Prior to assuming leadership of MHAW, Colleen Merlo had spent more than six years as executive director of L.I. Against Domestic Violence, which provides an array of support services to both male and female victims of domestic violence. During her tenure, she expanded the organization’s scope of services and introduced a number of programmatic innovations.

Before that, she was executive director of the Mental Health Association in Suffolk County (MHA Suffolk) where she provided direction to drive the mission and vision. Ms. Merlo’s strength in building effective collaborations, her advocacy, and tirelessly efforts to bring public attention to the issues facing Long Island’s most vulnerable, greatly enhanced the effectiveness of local programming.

“Colleen Merlo is one of the most talented and respected members of Long Island’s social services community,” said Cynthia Mason, MHAW board president. “Thanks to her prior leadership role at MHA Suffolk, one of our foundational organizations, she is uniquely qualified and well-prepared to take on the position of MHAW CEO.”

“Succeeding Michael Stoltz means that Colleen has big shoes to fill,” Ms. Mason said. “Mike has been a tireless and inspiring champion for mental health services on Long Island. We owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his many years of leadership.”

“I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Colleen Merlo over many years and I know her to be a dynamic and thoughtful leader,” said outgoing MHAW CEO. Michael Stoltz. “She’s got the vision and the skills to advance MHAW to new levels of performance. Her proven expertise as both an advocate and a service provider equip her well for her leadership role at MHAW.”

“The people of Suffolk County are fortunate to be served by an organization as innovative and qualified as MHAW,” said Ms. Merlo. “Thanks to the agency’s remarkable history of service and advocacy, thousands of local residents have been empowered to pursue and sustain healthy and enriched lives. I applaud Michael Stoltz’s record of achievement, I applaud the tremendous contributions of MHAW’s volunteers and staff, and I look forward to the opportunity to carry forward MHAW’s essential work.”

Colleen Merlo earned a master’s degree in Social Work at SUNY Stony Brook’s School of Social Welfare. She received a bachelor’s degree in Forensic Psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.

She is a past co-chair of the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Long Island, serves on the board of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, as well as the Suffolk County Teen Pregnancy Advisory Board. She is a past board member of MHAW as well as the Suffolk County Family Violence Task Force, chairing the Prevention Sub-Committee. She was honored two consecutive years by Long Island Business News, receiving the Top 50 Women in Business award in 2019 and the Non-Profit Leadership Excellence award in 2020.

Married and the mother of two children, Ms. Merlo also served as a psychiatric social worker at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital between 2009 and 2014.

About the Association for Mental Health and Wellness

Based in Ronkonkoma, the Association for Mental Health and Wellness is a not-for-profit organization that provides programs, services, and advocacy for people in Suffolk County who face mental health challenges, with an enhanced focus on service to veterans.

With roots dating back to 1955, MHAW was formed through the 2014 merger of three social service providers: the Mental Health Association in Suffolk County, Clubhouse of Suffolk, and Suffolk County United Veterans.

For information, go to www.mhaw.org or call 631-471-7242.