Advancing the Behavioral Health Sector: Daryn Demeritt

May 24, 2022

What is your title and role?

I’m the SVP of Government Relations and I lead our national legislative and regulatory advocacy initiatives for the organization.

How long have you been in the behavioral health sector?

I’ve been in the industry approaching 20 years overall and have been with ResCare/BrightSpring since 2008. I’ve also been involved in industry associations throughout my career, including a long history in various volunteer leadership roles with ANCOR.

What brought you to the behavioral health sector and what keeps you here?

When I was working in Washington, DC, I got to know people at United Cerebral Palsy and took on a legislative/communications role with the organization. After visiting chapters, understanding the operations, and learning about the I/DD services they provide that make such a difference in people’s lives, I was inspired. Since that time, I’ve felt very connected personally to the services and passionate about advocating for these life-changing programs and the workforce that make them possible.

What drives you in your role?

It’s really about the mission and helping people live as independently as possible in a community setting. Daily, I’m inspired by those we support and the agencies and front-line staff who want to drive results for these individuals. And while we’ve accomplished a lot for the services through advocacy over the years, there’s an opportunity to do so much more like advancing new models of supports and ensuring the workforce is adequately paid. Being in role that allows me to advocate for things that improve lives for the people we support and our workforce really motivates me.

What do you hope BrightSpring can accomplish to help agencies in 2022?

One silver lining of the pandemic is that it has cast a bright, positive light on our services and workforce. Awareness for what providers do, and the importance of that work, is at an all-time high. It is paramount that we leverage our collective voices to make sure we maximize this well-deserved attention. Now is the time to drive historic investments in services that have been underfunded for far too long.

What 3 things set us apart in the behavior health sector?

• The accuracy with which we do our work is foremast. The stress test of COVID proved how committed to and effective we are at making sure medications are delivered with utmost accuracy under any conditions.
• The scale and diversity of what we do. We not only have pharmacy and direct support services but a growing amount of clinical services that collectively allow us to offer whole person services for the individuals we support.
• Our history and services. We have been doing this a long time, so our team has people with decades of experience who know what it takes to deliver high-quality support while being mindful of the need to evolve the services to meet changing needs and demand. There is so much focus on delivering supports and an increasing number of healthcare services in-home. BrightSpring is uniquely positioned to be a leader in that in-home space and we are excited about what these evolving models of care can mean for improved health outcomes and the quality of life for the people we support.

What would you want to hear our agencies say about us?

That we’re as consistent as our internal data and tracking tells us. We have the metrics to show that we’re on time and accurate and want our agencies to view us as a trusted partner that delivers no matter the circumstances. We also want them to understand that we care deeply about the individuals they support and take a lot of ownership over that service.