Executive Director, Adjunct Professor
Behavioral Health ​Leadership Institute/Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Deborah Agus graduated from University of Maryland with Honors in 1975 and was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa in 1975. She graduated from Cornell Law School in 1979 and is a member of the Maryland Bar. Deborah has a long history in developing policy on issues of behavioral health systems including issues related to service delivery, organization and financing. Since 2005, Deborah has been the Executive Director of the Behavioral Health Leadership Institute [BHLI]. BHLI creates innovative projects and models to provide services to the most vulnerable populations with behavioral health disorders. The most recent project, Project Connections, has four sites where clinicians provide low threshold treatment predicated on harm reduction principles to person with opioid use disorder. The newest site is a van that sits outside the release door of the Baltimore City Detention Center. Deborah works with JHSPH/DMH students to collect and analyze data related to the sites and has co-authored several articles on relevant topics. Deborah is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Mental Health where she teaches two courses each year. Deborah is interested in advocating for expanding low threshold services, developing systems of care and exploring innovative funding mechanisms that use case rates, risk and outcomes to create patient-centered high-quality treatment.
