Administrator's Message
As the weeks have passed since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the
first phase of crisis response has given way to a second phase of
long-term recovery. The immediate task of saving lives is replaced
with tasks that restore the quality of life.
SAMHSA's mission is twofold: (1) to ensure that mental health
assessment and crisis counseling are readily available to residents
and evacuees of areas affected by the hurricanes and to establish
a longer-term plan to assure that post-traumatic stress disorders
are addressed within this population; and (2) to ensure that people
impacted by the hurricanes who have serious mental illnesses and
addictive disorders and children with serious emotional disturbances
continue to receive ongoing treatment for their chronic problems.
I am proud of SAMHSA's quick response, including the establishment
of our SAMHSA Emergency Response Center, the deployment of SAMHSA
staff and mobilization of staff from other sources—both Federal
and non-Federal—to the affected areas, our grants to states
for clinical services and pharmaceutical assistance, and our efforts
to collect data to guide our continuing efforts.
I was also impressed, during my own visits to the Gulf states,
by the resiliency of both evacuees and responders. I was struck
by the many traumas that people had suffered: the hurricanes, the
floods, the displacement, the loss, and for some people, the dehumanizing
way that they were treated during and after the events.
I observed that shelters that fostered a sense of community and
encouraged trusting relationships enabled people to begin healing.
It's important to engage people from the start in developing a
self-determined plan that gives them a sense of purpose and direction.
Visualizing their own goals helps people gain a sense of control
and an investment in the future.
Similarly, our efforts to rebuild communities and service systems
should focus on assisting locally led efforts—both private
and public sector—and on coordinating activities among local,
state, and Federal governments instead of imposing a solution from
the top down.
Rather than create a duplicate of our former service system for
mental and addictive disorders, we should encourage the growth of
a transformed health care system that is responsive to consumers
and their families, uses methods based on proven evidence, is oriented
toward prevention, and uses health care technology to improve quality.
In this way, we can use this difficult experience to create a modern,
vibrant, and sustainable future.
Charles G. Curie, M.A., A.C.S.W.
Administrator, SAMHSA
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