After a national search, Bright Harbor Healthcare named longtime staff member Kimberly Veith as its next chief executive officer.

A native of Toms River, Veith has worked with Bright Harbor for 25 years. She most recently served as director of adult clinical services for the past 11 years as well as the certified community behavioral health clinic director for the past five.

“When you consider we had applicants from all parts of the country, it’s wonderful to know the best candidates came from among our own current leadership team,” Barbara Miles, president of the board of trustees, said in a Sept. 20 announcement.

Bright Harbor said Veith has been instrumental in moving the health care provider from a traditional program-centric mental health agency to an “integrated care center addressing population health and whole person wellness.”

According to Veith’s LinkedIn profile, she is also a part-time professor at Ocean County College and a private-practice psychotherapist and psychologist. She was previously a mental health screener for Barnabas Health Behavioral Health.

Veith earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, a master’s in social work from Fordham University and an MBA from Georgian Court University.

Established in 1959 as Ocean Mental Health Services, Bright Harbor Healthcare provides counseling and addiction services to the residents of Ocean County.