Steve Kilburn

Public Health Planner - Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene

Steve Kilburn is a public health and behavioral health professional with extensive experience in substance use disorder response, public health planning, overdose prevention, and cross-sector collaboration. His work focuses on building strong partnerships between public health agencies, healthcare systems, behavioral health providers, law enforcement, and social service organizations to develop coordinated responses to complex community health challenges. Kilburn serves as a Public Health Planner with the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene in Mayville, New York, where he helps plan and coordinate initiatives focused on behavioral health, substance use disorder prevention, and overdose response. In this role, he manages community-based initiatives, supports partnerships across multiple sectors, and assists with the development and operation of the Chautauqua County Situation Table, a multi-agency collaboration designed to identify and respond to situations involving acutely elevated risk. He also managed Chautauqua County’s participation in the national HEALing Communities Study, a large-scale research initiative focused on reducing opioid overdose deaths through evidence-based community interventions. His responsibilities included coordinating opioid response strategies, supporting public health data analysis, facilitating collaboration among community partners, and monitoring progress related to overdose prevention efforts. Kilburn has also provided oversight for federally funded addiction and overdose response initiatives through the Health Resources and Services Administration, supporting efforts to expand treatment access, improve overdose response systems, strengthen workforce development, and advance prevention strategies in rural communities. Earlier in his career, he worked for nine years as a credentialed addiction counselor in an inpatient rehabilitation program, providing individual and group counseling, treatment planning support, recovery education, and transition planning for individuals with substance use and co-occurring behavioral health disorders. In addition to his public health work, Kilburn serves on the Board of Directors of UPMC Chautauqua and provides part-time pastoral care and counseling to individuals and families facing personal challenges, crises, and life transitions. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, completed a graduate-level degree at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and holds a graduate-level certificate in public health.

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