Discovery Behavioral Healthcare CEO to retire
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 16, 2026
PORT TOWNSEND — Discovery Behavioral Healthcare has announced that CEO Jim
Novelli will retire at the end of June.
Novelli, who has led the nonprofit community behavioral health agency since 2020, will be replaced by Scott Blakley.
“This transition reflects the strength, and vision Jim has brought to Discovery Behavioral Healthcare,” said Noah Harrison, board chair.
“Under his leadership, DBH has grown in every meaningful way — in staff, in reach, in programs, and in partnerships. Because of what Jim built, we enter this next chapter with deep roots and genuine momentum.”
Novelli came to Discovery Behavioral Healthcare following stints as CEO at Okanogan Behavioral Healthcare in Omak and the Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center in Miles City, Montana.
During his six-year tenure at Discovery Behavioral Healthcare, Novelli has more than doubled its workforce, expanded to four locations across East Jefferson County and built a network of community partnerships to broaden access to care.
Novelli led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic without an interruption in community services, expanded Wraparound with Intensive Services programming, collaborated with the Salish Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization to bring a mobile co-responder model to East Jefferson County, launched the Sheriff’s Navigator program to create a bridge between law enforcement and behavioral health services and integrated Safe Harbor and Beacon of Hope into the organization’s continuum of care.
“It has been the honor of my career to serve alongside this team and to work on behalf of the people of East Jefferson County,” said Novelli. “I am proud of what we built together and I leave with full confidence in what comes next.”
Scott Blakley, the incoming CEO, has more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in behavioral health and psychiatric healthcare.
He has served as group CEO of Sundance Behavioral Healthcare in Arlington, Texas, where he oversaw operations across multiple behavioral health facilities and service lines and has also been a regional vice president at Oceans Healthcare in Plano, Texas, leading eight psychiatric hospitals across Texas.
“I am deeply honored to join Discovery Behavioral Healthcare and to help carry forward the extraordinary work that Jim and this team have built over more than 30 years,” said Blakley. “My commitment is to listen first, to learn from the clinicians and staff who know this community and this mission so well, and work alongside them to strengthen the organization’s foundations.”
Blakley will focus on operational excellence, financial sustainability and expanding community partnerships while the organization’s clinical leadership team will guide the organization’s practice and standard of care.