Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Type: Government Agency
On the web: http://www.samhsa.gov

SAMHSA helps sick people get better; not people with the flu or a cold but people with substance abuse and mental health problems. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration runs three centers for the treatment and prevention of substance abuse and for mental health services. Each center works with state and local agencies, providing funding, support, and program development guidance. SAMHSA also has programs for disaster preparedness and recovery, children's mental health, school violence prevention, and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Founded in 1992 by Congress, SAMHSA is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Officers:
Acting Deputy Administrator and Acting Administrator: Eric Broderick
Acting Deputy Administrator: Kana Enomoto
Director, Financial Management: Anita Sweetman

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an operating division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was established in 1992 by the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration Reorganization Act (Pub. L. No. 102-321). SAMHSA provides national leadership in the prevention and treatment of addictive and mental disorders, through programs and services for individuals who suffer from these disorders.

Within SAMHSA are several major centers designated to carry out its purposes. The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) develops and implements federal policy for the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse, and analyzes the effect of other federal, state, and local programs also designed to prevent such abuse. CSAP administers and operates grant programs for the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse among specific populations, such as high-risk youth and women with dependent children, and in particular settings, including schools and the workplace. CSAP also supports training for health professionals working in alcohol and drug abuse education and prevention.

The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) provides national leadership in developing and administering programs focusing on the treatment of substance abuse. CSAT works with states, local communities, and health care providers by providing financial assistance to improve and expand programs for treating substance abuse. CSAT, like CSAP, also focuses on specific populations by administering and evaluating grant programs like the Comprehensive Residential Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, which treats women who abuse substances, and their children, and helps to train health care providers working in substance abuse prevention.

The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) promotes, on the federal level, the prevention and treatment of mental disorders, by identifying national mental health goals and developing strategies to meet them. CMHS works to improve the quality of programs that serve both the individuals suffering from these disorders and their families. Like other component centers carrying out the goals of SAMHSA, CMHS administers grants and programs that help states and local governments provide mental health care and services. CMHS also works with the alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health institutes of the National Institutes of Health, the principal biomedical research agency of the federal government, in researching the effective delivery of mental health services.

The Office of Management, Planning, and Communications (OMPC) is responsible for the financial and administrative management of SAMHSA components, including their personnel management and computer support functions. OMPC also monitors and analyzes pending legislation affecting SAMHSA components and acts as a liaison between SAMHSA and congressional committees. In addition, OMPC oversees the public affairs activities of SAMHSA, including public relations and interaction with the media to facilitate coverage of SAMHSA programs and objectives. Finally, OMPC collects and compiles alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment literature and supports the CSAP National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. The clearinghouse then disseminates its materials to state and local governments, health care and drug treatment programs, health care professionals, and the general public.

The front of the SAMHSA building in Rockville, MD

United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Agency overview
Formed	1992
Jurisdiction	Federal government of the United States
Headquarters	Rockville, Maryland
Agency executive	Terry Cline, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Administrator
Parent agency	Department of Health and Human Services
Website
www.samhsa.gov

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is an agency of the United States federal government. 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. SAMHSA is a branch of the Health and Human Services Department, and its director (administrator) reports directly to the Health and Human Services Secretary. SAMHSA's headquarters building is located in Rockville, Maryland.

Contents 1 History 2 Organization 3 Controversy 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links 7 See also

History

It was founded in 1992 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. SAMHSA provides a number of services, including block grants to agencies throughout America, publicity campaigns, and data analysis for system reform, policy, and programs.

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 has been acting director since Dr. Cline's departure,^[1] and previously served in that role between Dr. Curie and Dr. Cline.^[2]

Organization

SAMHSA consists of three centers and five offices. They are:

• Office of the Administrator (OA)
• Office of Policy, Planning and Budget (OPPB)
• Office of Program Services (OPS)
• Office of Applied Studies (OAS)
• Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)
• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)
• Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS)

Their budget for the Fiscal Year 2008 was about $3.2 billion. It was re-authorized for 2009.

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."^[3][4]

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".^[5]

Notes

1. ^ "Agency Biographies: Acting Administrator of SAMHSA" Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
2. ^ "Dr. Broderick Tapped for Interim Post" SAMHSA News (September/October 2006) 14(5): p. 2
3. ^ Joe Crea, Feb 25, 2005. "Suicide prevention workshop retains ‘gay’ title", Washington Blade.
4. ^ February 26, 2005. "Northwest: Oregon: Workshop's Original Title Restored", The New York Times.
5. ^ For the opposition to this report see: New Freedom Commission on Mental Health#Opposition.

References

• http://www.nih.gov/about/almanac/archive/1998/organization/nimh/history.html
• http://www.samhsa.gov/Budget/FY2008/SAMHSA08CongrJust.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 • e 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 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 · U.S. 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)

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