SECTION 13. Community mental health area directors

The commissioner shall, after consultation with the area board, appoint in each community mental health area an area director. Such area director shall have such educational qualifications and such administrative and other experience, including education or experience in a field related to human services, as the commissioner determines are necessary for the performance of the duties of area director.

The area director shall perform such duties as are described in this chapter and any other law and such other duties as are assigned by the department.

Where there is established within the area a comprehensive center operated by the department and designated as a comprehensive center by the commissioner, the area director may also serve by appointment of the commissioner as head of such center. The area board shall also serve as the citizen board for such center and no other board shall be formed or designated for such center. The area director, subject to departmental regulations, shall supervise all employees within such center.

Salaries for area directors shall be fixed under and in accordance with sections forty-five to fifty, inclusive, of chapter thirty, taking into account those individual cases where an area director is also superintendent of a state hospital or a comprehensive center.