SAMHSA's 10 Strategic Initiatives
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. SAMHSA, in collaboration with other Federal agencies, States, Tribes, local organizations, and individuals including consumers and the recovery community, has demonstrated again and again in research and practice - prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover from mental and substance use disorders. Behavioral health is an essential part of health service systems and community-wide strategies that work to improve health status and lower costs for families, businesses, and governments. Through continued improvement in the delivery and financing of prevention, treatment, and recovery support services SAMHSA with its partners can advance and protect the Nation’s health. In order to achieve this goal SAMHSA has identified 10 Strategic Initiatives to focus the Agency’s work on improving lives and capitalizing on emerging opportunities. The 10 Initiatives are described below with the Agency lead identified.
1. Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness
(Fran Harding, Director, Center for Mental Health Services)
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.
2. Trauma and Justice
(Larke Huang, Senior Advisor to the Administrator)
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.
3. Military Families – Active, Guard, Reserve, and Veteran
(Kathryn Power, Director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention)
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.
4. Health Reform
(John O’Brien, Senior Advisor for Health Finance)
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.
5. Housing and Homelessness
(Kathryn Power, Director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention)
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.
6. Jobs and Economy
(Larke Huang, Senior Advisor to the Administrator)
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.
7. Health Information Technology for Behavioral Health Providers
(Westley Clark, Director, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment)
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.
8. Behavioral Health Workforce – In Primary and Specialty Care Settings
(Westley Clark, Director, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment)
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.
9. Data, Outcomes, and Quality – Demonstrating Results
(Pete Delany, Director, Office of Applied Studies)
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.
10. Public Awareness and Support
(Mark Weber, Director, Office of Communications)
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.
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