About us
The Office of the Behavioral Health Advocate (OBHA) is an independent state agency established by the Connecticut General Assembly and Governor Ned Lamont under Connecticut General Statutes § 38a-1060. Our mission is to ensure that every Connecticut resident has equitable access to behavioral health care and that the providers delivering this care are supported by a fair and transparent insurance system.
While administratively housed within the Connecticut Insurance Department (CID), OBHA operates with full independence to serve as a voice for both consumers and providers.
Our statutory mandate
By law, OBHA is charged with a comprehensive set of responsibilities to improve Connecticut’s behavioral health landscape, including:
- Direct access: Help residents navigate complex systems to access resources for mental health, substance use, and developmental and intellectual disabilities
- Provider support: Assist licensed professionals in resolving payment and reimbursement disputes with health insurance carriers
- Legal and policy advocacy: Monitor federal, state, and local laws to recommend necessary changes that protect patient rights and mental health parity
- Legislative reporting: Provide annual, data-driven reports to the General Assembly to guide policy reform and resolve systemic barriers to care
- Provide information: Educate the public, agencies, legislators, and others regarding problems and concerns of mental and behavioral health care providers and patients, then recommend resolutions
Leadership
Appointed by Governor Lamont and confirmed by the legislature in 2025, Howard Sovronsky serves as Connecticut’s inaugural Behavioral Health Advocate. A licensed clinical social worker with over 40 years of experience, Sovronsky has held executive leadership roles across the public and private sectors.
Prior to this appointment, he served as the Chief Behavioral Health Officer at Connecticut Children’s, where he helped lead the state's response to the youth mental health crisis. His extensive background—including serving as Commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities—provides OBHA with a leader who deeply understands the clinical, administrative, and governmental facets of behavioral health care.
Our vision
At OBHA, we believe that access to mental health services is a fundamental right that must be treated with the same urgency and parity as physical health. By addressing individual barriers to care today, we identify the systemic trends that will enable us to advocate for a more responsive and equitable tomorrow.