Corner House names new executive director

David Errickson has been selected to lead Corner House Behavioral Health. He replaces Gary DeBlasio, who announced his retirement earlier this year.

Corner House, which is based in Princeton, works to prevent and treat alcohol and drug addiction by engaging and supporting youth, adults, and families. In a typical year, Corner House serves more than 3,900 people through prevention programs.

Errickson first started working at Corner House as a clinician and has been the director of clinical operations at the nonprofit for the past 18 years. He earned his master’s degree from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Social Work, where he still serves as a part-time lecturer teaching graduate course work in the addiction counselor training program.

“I started with Corner House as a full-time clinician over 25 years ago. I knew then what a special place this is and what an important role it plays in the Princeton community,” Errickson said. “Over the years I have been a part of the agency’s evolution in services provided to the community, expanding its role from a community-based substance abuse and co-occurring mental health treatment center to including comprehensive prevention, leadership, and outreach services.”

In his role as director of clinical operations, Errickson has advocated for the training of clinicians in proven therapeutic techniques to better help current and future Corner House clients. During his tenure, Corner House Behavioral Health has grown significantly in the size and scope of its services. In the past few years a full-time, bilingual Spanish-English clinician has joined the Corner House staff to better provide clinical services to the Princeton area’s Spanish-speaking population. Several clinicians have also become trained in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy.

Errickson said he is excited about the opportunity to step into a new leadership role at Corner House. “I believe we truly live up to our mission statement by preventing and treating substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders by engaging and supporting youth, adults, and families in life-long healthy living and recovery,” he said.