Rachele C. Espiritu, Ph.D. is the Director of the Office of Minority Health, Acting Director of Training and Technical Assistance (TTA), and Strategic Lead for Faith-Based Initiatives in the Office of the Assistant Secretary.
Dr. Espiritu brings extensive experience in behavioral health, evaluation, and systems improvement across the public, academic, and nonprofit sectors. Prior to joining SAMHSA, she was a founding partner at Change Matrix, where she helped lead initiatives to strengthen behavioral health systems and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities. She has directed numerous state and national initiatives supported by federal agencies and philanthropic organizations, including SAMHSA, HRSA, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Dr. Espiritu previously served on the faculty of the Department of Pediatrics at Georgetown University Medical Center and as Director of Evaluation for the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development. In these roles, she supported states and communities in building evaluation capacity for children’s services and led internal evaluation efforts to strengthen program effectiveness and accountability.
Committed to public service and community engagement, Dr. Espiritu has served on several state and local boards, including the Colorado Children’s Campaign and Mile High Early Learning. As a former Denver Public Schools Board of Education member, she provided strategic leadership for holistic, child-centered initiatives.
Dr. Espiritu earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she was recognized as a Patricia Roberts Harris Scholar. Her career reflects a longstanding commitment to strengthening systems that support community well-being.