Three New Members Appointed to SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Advisory Council

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Date: 11/20/2008
Media Contact: SAMHSA Press Office
Telephone: 240-276-2130

Three New Members Appointed to SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Advisory Council

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the appointment of three new members to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) National Advisory Council. This is a 12-member panel of experts that meets regularly to advise the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, SAMHSA’s administrator, and CSAT’s director on a wide range of public health matters related to prevention, treatment, and recovery support services.
“We are honored that these distinguished leaders have agreed to serve on the CSAT Advisory Council,” said Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H., acting administrator of SAMHSA. “The diverse backgrounds and experience of these distinguished leaders will help inform our work at SAMHSA to improve the capacity and effectiveness of the mental health and substance abuse service delivery systems.”

The new CSAT National Advisory Council members are:

Arthur C. Evans, Jr., Ph.D., director, Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services, and former acting commissioner, Department of Human Services
As director of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services, Dr. Evans is leading a systems transformation process that focuses on recovery for adults, resilience for children and self-determination for people with intellectual disabilities. As acting commissioner of the city’s Department of Human Services, Dr. Evans initiated reforms in the child welfare system. He holds a faculty appointment at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Carrick Anne Forbes, student and speaker, Hastings on Hudson, N.Y.
Ms. Forbes identifies herself as a recovering survivor of heroin addiction. In January 2004, at the age of 19, Ms. Forbes entered several detox programs. Currently, she remains free of any medication for substance use disorders and has begun academic work toward credentialing as an alcohol and substance abuse counselor. Ms. Forbes is an active member of Friends and Voices of Recovery and participated in the 2006 Telly Award-winning documentary, “Peers Influence Peers XII: Road to Recovery,” produced by the Peers Influence Peers Partnership, Inc.

Peter C. Formaz, NCAC-II, LAC, Behavioral Health Services, Benefits Healthcare, Helena, Mont.
Mr. Formaz operates an outpatient drug and alcohol behavioral health facility that offers an opiate treatment/ Suboxone program. The facility is near the only veterans’ hospital in Montana and treats a number of returning veterans for chemical dependency. Mr. Formaz is northwest regional vice president of the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC).

These new members will join the current members of the CSAT National Advisory Council: Mr. Abdelwahhab Alawneh, Ms. Anita Bertrand, Rev. John D. Castellani, Dr. Betty Ward Fletcher, Dr. Elizabeth Howell, Dr. Francis A. McCorry, Dr. Juana Mora, Mr. Gilbert Sudbeck, and the Honorable Eugene Whitefish.

For more information, visit https://www.nac.samhsa.gov/CSATcouncil/index.aspx

SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation's substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and mental health services delivery system.

Page Last Updated: 11/21/2008