News Release

James Stone Named Deputy Administrator, SAMHSA

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Administrator Charles G. Curie today announced that James L. Stone has been appointed deputy administrator of SAMHSA.  SAMHSA, a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is dedicated to providing prevention and treatment services that build resilience and facilitate recovery from substance abuse and mental illness.  

Prior to joining SAMHSA, Stone was Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health.  There he supervised the New York State public mental health system, which includes 27 psychiatric centers serving over 6,000 inpatients and 20,000 outpatients.  As commissioner of mental health he worked with local government to assure effective services and proper regulation and licensure of over 2,500 programs across the state.

“James Stone will further our vision of a healthier U.S. by addressing the mental illnesses and substance abuse that disable millions of Americans,” Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said.  "Those who suffer from mental illness or substance abuse deserve to be treated with the same compassion and medical attention as those who suffer physical ailments.  James Stone’s stellar record in New York shows we have the right man for the job.”

SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie said, “I am truly excited to have James Stone on SAMHSA’s executive team.  His proven leadership and extensive experience in strategic planning for mental health services, his ability to encourage collaboration among advocacy groups, provider groups and government agencies, his experience in addressing co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders, and his management expertise will propel SAMHSA into a new era of responsiveness and efficiency.”

            Stone positioned New York State as a leader in addressing co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders, a major priority of SAMHSA under Curie.  He authored the concept of service coordination by severity of disorders and location of care that is the standard in the field for determining the level of treatment for those with co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders. He oversaw development of an assessment instrument to aid clinicians in diagnosing co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders, and was instrumental in creating collaboration between mental health authorities and the New York Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.  This cooperation led to the funding of 12 specialists in co-occurring disorders assigned to local county mental health offices to facilitate collaboration among substance abuse and mental health professionals.

            Under Stone, state mental hospitals were all fully accredited, and he achieved the only statewide correctional mental health system to be fully accredited.  He also successfully reduced restraint and seclusion of mentally ill patients by 65 percent. He is a supporter of performance indicators and evidence-based practices, as well of developing data to support service enhancement.

            During the crisis of 9/11/01, he worked with SAMHSA and City of New York officials to establish a command center to provide mental health and substance abuse services to those affected.  He also created Project Liberty to focus on services to special populations and a media campaign to address the general public. 

            He holds a B.A. and an M.S.W. from Syracuse University and is a recipient of the “Distinguished Alumnus Award” of the Syracuse University School of Social Work.  He has also been published in several behavioral health journals.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States. Information on SAMHSA's programs is available on this website, www.samhsa.gov. 

 

This page was last updated on 28 May, 2003
SAMHSA is An Agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services