SAMHSA re-aligns mission in 10 strategic initiatives.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

With little fanfare, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has revamped its goals, dividing the agency's tasks into 10 initiatives, each headed by a different person. Barriers are broken down between sthe traditional areas of substance abuse (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment), mental health (Center for Mental Health Services), and prevention (Center for Substance Abuse Prevention). For example, H. Westley Clark, M.D., director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), is now in charge of the workforce initiative and the health information technology initiative, both of which apply to both mental health and substance abuse (referred to now as "behavioral health" at SAMHSA).

The traditional territories of each center--mental health or substance abuse--no longer exist.

The "10 …