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Fairfax County is preparing for a leadership change at its behavioral health agency after longtime executive director Daryl Washington accepted a position overseeing Virginia’s statewide system.

Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger announced Monday, Jan. 5, that Washington will become commissioner of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. He is scheduled to begin Jan. 17, the day Spanberger takes office as governor.

Washington will resign as executive director of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board in the coming weeks. A Fairfax County spokesperson said he remains focused on ensuring a smooth transition as the county begins recruiting his successor. Details will be posted on the county’s Human Resources website when applications open.

The Fairfax-Falls Church CSB provides mental health care, substance-use treatment and developmental disability services for adults and young people in Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. It is one of 40 community services boards established across Virginia under state law.

Washington has led the agency since 2018, steering it through pandemic-era increases in demand and difficulties recruiting workers. He also helped direct Fairfax County’s response to the opioid crisis and supported Diversion First, an initiative that pairs behavioral health intervention with law enforcement encounters.

Projects underway at the CSB include a regional detoxification and crisis center for young people that is expected to open during the first half of 2026.

Washington’s career with the agency began in 1996, when he became a supervisor in its adult residential mental health services. He later rose to deputy director of clinical operations before taking the top position nearly eight years ago.

In his new role, Washington will oversee a department responsible for regulating and delivering services through Virginia’s 12 state-operated mental health hospitals and its network of local CSBs. The department also runs the state’s 988 crisis hotline and helps residents with developmental disabilities obtain support through Medicaid waivers and other programs.

Washington is among several Fairfax residents and community leaders selected for the Spanberger administration. Other appointees include former delegates David Bulova and Mark Sickles and Dr. Sesha Joi Moon.

Spanberger announced Washington’s selection with several other agency and senior-staff appointments, including the return of Stephen Birch as Virginia Department of Transportation commissioner and S. Duke Storen as Department of Social Services commissioner.