Dr. Margarita Labarta
Dr. Margarita Labarta, CEO
Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, Inc.
4300 SW 13th Stareet, Gainesville, FL

Margarita Labarta, Ph.D. is currently President and Chief Executive Officer for Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, which provides comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment, supportive vocational and housing services, and child welfare services in 11 rural, North Florida counties.  Labarta has been at Meridian since 1983, directing, in turn, its rural clinics, Children’s Department, and Acute Care Services prior to becoming CEO. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, Labarta has provided many hours of clinical and evaluation services within the family law arena. She has also provided clinical and management training to staff and other professionals.

Labarta has considerable involvement in professional organizations and community partnerships.  She is currently Chair for the Florida Council for Community Mental Health, and ac active member of Mental Health Corporations of America and the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.  She has served as Chairperson of the Steering Committee for the Child Advocacy Center and served on its Board, served on the advisory board for the Juvenile Assessment Center, and is a current board member for the Guardian ad Litem Foundation.  She has been involved in local efforts related to end homelessness and diverting those with a mental illness from the criminal justice system.   She is also active in Rotary.

She has a Bachelors in Psychology and Mathematics from Barry University and a Masters and Ph.D. in Clinical and Community Psychology from the University of Maryland awarded.  She has courtesy appointments at the University of Florida in both the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology