Ben Harrington is the CEO of the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee. Ben has a long history of being actively involved in local, state and national advocacy. Some specific advocacy efforts have included the TennCare formulary, creation of the Behavior Health Safety Net, creation of the original 6 Crisis Stabilization Units, and the reinvestment of funds in the community when Lakeshore Regional Mental Health Institute closed in 2012.
Ben has been honored by the United Way of Greater Knoxville with the Wayne Murdoch CEO of the Year Award, the Greater Knoxville Business Journal with the Health Care Hero Award for Community Service, and by the American Psychiatric Association with their “Psychiatric Achievement Award” for Mental Health 101.
He earned a BA in History in 1982 from Heidelberg University and an MA Ed in 1984 from Bowling Green State University.