NORTHAMPTON — The city of Northampton has announced the appointment of Donaven “Don” Gibbs as the new Director of the Division of Community Care within the city’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Gibbs brings a wealth of experience, leadership and dedication to the role, having worked in the human services field for over 12 years. Throughout his tenure, he has played a critical role in expanding the Division of Community Care’s efforts to provide compassionate and community-centered care.
The Division of Community Care, or DCC, is a pioneering public health-led initiative designed to provide an alternative first response for community members in need of immediate support during personal challenges. The division focuses on non-police crisis response and community-based support services to enhance public health and safety in Northampton.
“I’m truly honored to step into this role,” said Gibbs. “Our mission is to build a healthier, more supportive community by ensuring residents have access to immediate care and critical resources, especially during times of crisis. I look forward to working alongside my team, [the Department of Health and Human Services], the city of Northampton and community members to strengthen and expand our impact.”
Gibbs joined DCC in June 2023 as a member of the inaugural cohort of Community Responders. Gibbs’ skill set and knowledge, crucial to the success of the DCC, comes from a background of over a decade in the human service field. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Gibbs began his career with Behavioral Health Network where he served as a program director. After six years, he transitioned into a role at the Center for Human Development as an outreach supervisor until 2023.
The city has credited his leadership skills and commitment to community well-being as something that quickly set him apart just after joining the city, leading to his promotion to Lead Community Responder and later Supervisor of Operations in September 2024.
Following that promotion, Gibbs continued his great work which led to him being a clear candidate for the vacant director position.
“We are thrilled to have Donaven step into this leadership role,” said Health Commissioner Merridith O’Leary. “His experience, dedication and deep understanding of community needs make him the ideal person to lead the Division of Community Care forward.”
As director, Gibbs will oversee the division’s strategic direction, strengthen crisis response services, enhance collaboration with local organizations and ensure Northampton remains at the forefront of innovative, equity-driven public health and safety initiatives. He told Reminder Publishing he aims to try and expand the program to the next level.
“I feel like we’ve improved a lot overall as a new program [since its founding]. In the beginning it was kind of hard because we’re the first of our kind to do this so we’re still building the plane as we fly, so to speak,” Gibbs said. “There’s been mistakes, a lot of learning curves, but I feel like we’re better at everything now at this point. It’s just all about meeting people where they’re at.”
DCC covers Northampton, Leeds and Florence, but also partners with DART for regional outreach to other communities in the region. Gibbs said one of his main goals is to maintain and further these relationships as the community working together helps meet people where they are.
“It’s still about brining the human back to human services. I like to think of us as a safety net for people that fall through the cracks,” Gibbs said. “I think we’ve really improved on collaborating better with our sister agencies. The Soup Kitchen, Craigs Doors, Elliot Homeless Services, Tapestry, just collaborating with all those partnerships helps us get every individual that needs resources the best resources.”
Gibbs added working for a city like Northampton makes focusing on his work easier as he knows there is support behind the efforts.
“I come from New York City, and it is nothing like Northampton,” Gibbs said. “Northampton is very receptive under the leadership of the mayor and our commissioner Merridith O’Leary. They actually care about the people. They meet us for sit downs and ask how they can up us, they listen to us. For DCC, we get the voices of the people who are sometimes unheard. We tell the city, this is what the people need right now. This is what they’re asking for. To be able to communicate that with the mayor and commissioner without push back or ridicule is amazing. That’s what separates Northampton from a lot of places, our leadership is amazing. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Community members are encouraged to connect with the DCC for support and services. The DCC community space is at 1 RoundHouse Plaza, first floor and offer in-person support, resources and assistance. Visit northamptondcc.org for more information on its work, service details, training opportunities and news updates.
