Nominations panel advances Devon L. Ward for correction ombudsman and Howard Servransky for behavioral health advocate

The Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee met March 18 in Hartford and advanced two of Gov. Ned Lamont’s nominees: Devon L. Ward of Hartford to serve as Connecticut correction ombudsman and Howard Servransky of West Hartford to serve as the state’s first behavioral health advocate.

Both slots drew public testimony and extended questioning from committee members before the committee moved both nominations forward in roll-call proceedings later in the afternoon.

devon l. ward, correction ombudsman nominee

Devon L. Ward, a practicing attorney who said he has served as interim correction ombudsman since September, told the panel his office’s caseload has been dominated by medical complaints, allegations of staff assaults and facility conditions — including reports of black mold and heating problems — and that a disproportionate number of current complaints have come from McDougall. “A large amount of my complaints are related to medical,” Ward said during questioning.

Ward said the office already holds roughly 500 complaints, of which his staff had been able to address about 100; he said the governor’s proposed budget of about $400,000 would fund only two or three additional staffers. Ward told lawmakers he had asked appropriations subcommittee members for roughly an $800,000 increase — bringing the office to about $1.2 million — to support a staff of about nine, including district-based investigators, an intake assistant, an on-site associate ombuds and a staff…