Andrew Best Jr.

Dr. Andrew Best, Jr. (he/him) is the Director of Health and Wellness for the City of Philadelphia Police Department. In this role, he oversees the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Peer Support Program, Crisis Intervention Training, and The Early Intervention System. Dr. Best was formerly the Director of the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction (SUPHR) of the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health. He has worked for the City of Philadelphia since 2014. Dr. Best has extensive experience in behavioral health, substance use prevention, case management, grants management, and program evaluation. Before joining SUPHR, Dr. Best worked with the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) in various capacities. Most recently, he served as the Health Program Manager for the Single County Authority (SCA) Operations Unit. This role focused on grant implementation, program evaluation, contract management, and fiscal management. His previous experience with DBHIDS included managing substance use prevention, early intervention, recovery support, and treatment programming. He also has experience providing individual therapy, group therapy, and crisis intervention services to many populations.

Dr. Best earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Pre-Law Concentration) with a minor in African American Studies from Howard University and a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Public Management from West Chester University. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Pennsylvania and earned his Master of Social Service with a concentration in Clinical Social Work from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. Dr. Best earned a Doctor of Public Administration and a certificate in Public Administration from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. His dissertation titled “Nonmedical Prescription Opioid Use in Adolescents” focused on comparing adolescent rates of prescription opioid use and implementation dates of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP). He also earned a Master of Business Administration from Pennsylvania Western University. Recently, he obtained the Certified Advanced Drug and Alcohol Counselor certification and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University.

Dr. Best’s roots are in North Carolina, but Philadelphia has been his home for the last 27 years. Dr. Best is deeply committed to social justice and working with marginalized communities to ensure equitable access to healthcare, harm reduction, and behavioral health services for all Philadelphians.

Education

PhD, West Chester University of Pennsylvania

MBA, Pennsylvania Western University

BA, Howard University