BISMARCK – Laurie Gotvaslee, regional director of North Central Human Service Center since 2012, will be retiring April 30, the North Dakota Department of Human Services announced Tuesday.

Gotvaslee began her career as a social worker at McHenry County Social Services. In 1999, she joined NCHSC and held various positions in child welfare, children’s mental health and aging services. She served as the assistant director of the Minot center for three years before being named director in 2012. At that same time, she also served as the director for Northwest Human Service Center in Williston, a position she held until 2018.

Gotvaslee and her team worked to support community-based behavioral health services and other human services during the recent oil boom when unprecedented population growth stressed all forms of community infrastructure.

Several initiatives were launched to help fill gaps in behavioral health services. An adult crisis and transitional living facility opened in Minot, and the Williston and Minot centers were the first to implement walk-in behavioral health assessments and services to provide immediate care to those in need.

The Department of Human Services also announced the retirement of Randy Slavens, regional director of Northeast Human Service Center in Grand Forks, on May 28.

“I would like to thank Laurie and Randy for their decades of service to improving the lives of North Dakotans,” said Jeff Stenseth, field services operations officer. “Over the years, they have played instrumental roles in implementing many human service center initiatives, including recently achieving national accreditation for outpatient behavioral health services at each center and the rollout of enhanced crisis services in the state.”