So, it has been an honor to lead an organization that provides services that communities like mine had so desperately needed,” said Dr. “I was raised in a community where so many were destroyed by addiction and incarceration.

To date, START has served over 53,000 patients at multiple centers across New York City.

The organization has a longstanding history of advocating for communities of color, promoting health equity through its impact on national policy, and providing treatment guidelines for substance use disorders, viral hepatitis, and HIV. Benny Primm, is dedicated to transforming the perception of addiction and behavioral health disorders by bringing dignity and respect to the lives, families, and communities it serves. START, founded 53 years ago by trailblazing researcher and behavioral sciences pioneer Dr. Brown, Jr., who is moving on to other endeavors, after a 10-year tenure. Doris most recently served as Commissioner for the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) and subcommittee Co-Chair of the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE).

Doris previously served as Commissioner of the nation’s largest small business and workforce City agency, leading pandemic and equitable recovery efforts for NYC’s hardest hit communities.Īs head of the nation’s oldest and largest minority-led research, addiction treatment and recovery healthcare organization, Doris will expand services in communities most impacted by the unprecedented rise in opioid use and health disparities exacerbated by the pandemic.īROOKLYN, NY - Jonnel Doris was appointed CEO of Start Treatment & Recovery Centers (START), a leading healthcare organization, offering addiction treatment, behavioral health services, and behavioral and biomedical research, which has served New York City's disenfranchised, economically challenged, and minority communities since 1969.

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