SAMHSA

The front of the SAMHSA building in Rockville, MD

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Humas Services. It is charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses. The Administrator of SAMHSA reports directly to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA's headquarters building is located in Rockville, Maryland.

History

SAMHSA was established in 1992 by Congress as part of a reorganization of the Federal administration of mental health services; the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) was abolished and its service components were transferred to the newly-organized SAMSHA.

Congress directed SAMHSA to target effectively substance abuse and mental health services to the people most in need and to translate research in these areas more effectively and rapidly into the general health care system. ^[1]

Charles Curie was SAMHSA's Director until his resignation in May 2006. In December 2006 Terry Cline was appointed as SAMHSA's Director. Dr. Cline served through August 2008. Rear Admiral Eric Broderick served as the Acting Director upon Dr. Cline's departure, ^[2] until the arrival of the current Administrator, Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. in November 2009. ^[3]

Organization

SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and metnal illness on American's communities.

To accomplish its work SAMHSA administers a combination of competitive, formula, and block grant programs and data collection activities. The Agency's programs are carried out through:

• The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) which focuses on prevention and treatment of mental disorders.
• The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) which seeks to prevent and reduce the abuse of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.
• The Center for Sunstance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) which supports the provision of effective substance abuse treatment and recovery services.
• The Office of Applied Studies (OAS) which has primary responsibility for collection, analysis and dissemination of behavior health data.

Together these units support States, Territories, Tribes, communities, and local organizations through grant and contract awards and provide national leadership in promoting the provision of quality behavioral health services. Major activities to improve the quality and availability of prevention, treatment and recovery support services are funded through competitive Programs of Regional and National Significance grants. A number of supporting offices complement the work of the three Centers and the Office of Applied Studies: ^[4]

• The Office of the Administrator (OA)
• The Office of Policy, Planning, and Budget (OPPB)
• The Office of Program Services (OPS)

SAMHSA's Strategic Direction

In 2010, SAMHSA identified 10 Strategic Initiatives to focus the Agency's work. Below are the 10 areas and goals associated with each category: ^[5]

• Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness - Create prevention prepared communities where individuals, families, schools, workplaces, and communities take action to promote emotional health and prevent and reduce mental illness, substance abuse including tobacco, and suicide across the lifespan
• Trauma and Justice - Reduce the pervasive, harmful, and costly health impact of violence and trauma by integrating trauma-informed approaches throughout health and behavioral healthcare systems and to divert people with substance use and mental disorders from criminal and juvenile justice systems into trauma-informed treatment and recovery.
• Military Families – Active, Guard, Reserve, and Veteran - Support of our service men and women and their families and communities by leading efforts to ensure needed behavioral health services are accessible and outcomes are successful.
• Health Reform - Broaden health coverage and the use of evidence based practices to increase access to appropriate and high quality care, and to reduce disparities that currently exist between the availability of services for substance use and mental disorders and other medical conditions.
• Housing and Homelessness - Provide housing and reduce the barriers that homeless persons with mental and substance use disorders and their families experience to accessing effective programs that sustain recovery.
• Jobs and Economy - Promote the behavioral health of individuals, families, and communities affected by the economic downturn; the employment of people with mental and substance use disorders, and policies for employers that support behavioral health in the workplace.
• Health Information Technology for Behavioral Health Providers - Ensure the behavioral health provider network, including prevention specialists and consumer providers, fully participates with the general health care delivery system in the adoption of health information technology.
• Behavioral Health Workforce – In Primary and Specialty Care Settings - Provide a coordinated approach to address workforce development issues affecting the behavioral health and general health service delivery community to promote the integration of services and the training and use of behavioral health screening, brief intervention and referral for treatment in primary care settings.
• Data, Outcomes, and Quality – Demonstrating Results - Realize an integrated data strategy that informs policy, measures program impact, and results in improved quality of services and outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.
• Public Awareness and Support - Increase understanding of mental and substance use disorder prevention and treatment services to achieve the full potential of prevention and help people recognize and seek assistance for these health conditions with the same urgency as any other health condition.

Their budget for the Fiscal Year 2010 was about $3.6 billion. It was re-authorized for 2011.

Controversy

In February 2004, the administration was accused of requiring the name change of an Oregon mental health conference from "Suicide Prevention Among Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Individuals" to "Suicide Prevention in Vulnerable Populations."^[6][7]

In 2002, President George W. Bush established the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. The resulting report was intended to provide the foundation for the federal government's Mental Health Services programs. There are many critics of this report "Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America".^[8]

Notes

References

• http://www.nih.gov/about/almanac/archive/1998/organization/nimh/history.html
• http://www.samhsa.gov/Budget/FY2011/SAMHSA_FY11CJ.pdf
• http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid03200.asp

External links

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• National Institute of Mental Health : Important Events in NIMH History
• Federal agency caught in uproar over workshop title

See also

• Addiction recovery groups
• Self-help groups for mental health
• Treatment Improvement Protocols
• United States Department of Health and Human Services

v • d Agencies of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary of Health and Human Services · Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretariate staff offices Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services · Office of the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services · Office of Inspector General Organizations under the Assistant Secretary for Health Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health · Public Health Service · Office of Public Health and Science · Administration for Children and Families · Administration on Aging · Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality · Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services · Food and Drug Administration · Health Resources and Services Administration · Indian Health Service · National Institutes of Health · Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration · Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (Surgeon General)