County of Door Hires New Full-time Psychiatrist

The Door County Department of Human Services has hired Dr. Andrew Kessler as staff psychiatrist. He will join the agency on a full-time basis on Feb. 11. For the past two years, the county has, without success, sought to hire a full-time psychiatrist. During this period, the department has explored or tried various alternatives, including contracting with another county for psychiatric services. Since January 2018, the county has contracted with Kewaunee County for the services of Dr. Stephen Shopbell two days per week, but two days of service were not nearly enough to meet the needs of the community. Last September, the Administrative and Finance Committees approved contracting with a recruitment firm to assist in the search, and increased funding to support the full-time position was included in the 2019 county budget. Kessler has been in practice for more than 25 years, working in a variety of settings including private practice, county human services and state institutions. He has experience working with individuals across the lifespan. Kessler currently resides in the Madison area but plans to relocate to Door County.