From the Administrator: Reflections, Future Directions

Charles G. Curie SAMHSA Administrator

One of my first actions as SAMHSA Administrator was to hold a national conference in New York City soon after the attacks. SAMHSA invited a team from every state to attend and work on a disaster preparedness action plan for mental and substance use problems.

As I prepare to leave SAMHSA, I see that the resolve, commitment, and ingenuity displayed at that time by stakeholders in the field working in tandem with SAMHSA staff was a harbinger of how hard we would work and how much we would accomplish together in the years ahead.

Simultaneously, I engaged the field in an ongoing dialogue to help shape the direction of SAMHSA's efforts. The insight and input from these stakeholders helped formulate a mission and vision.

The vision is a life in the community for everyone. People of all ages, with or at risk for mental or substance use disorders, deserve the opportunity for a fulfilling life that includes an education, a job, a home, and meaningful relationships with family and friends.

The vision continues to inform Agency efforts today. It infuses SAMHSA's directive from the President's New Freedom Initiative to transform the Nation's mental health service delivery system. It has helped launch transformative programs such as Access to Recovery and the Strategic Prevention Framework that are already taking shape across the Nation.

The vision of life in the community for everyone has also clarified the understanding that there are many pathways to recovery from substance abuse, including the transforming powers of faith. With that in mind, SAMHSA has established broad alliances with community and faith-based service providers to assist citizens seeking help and support in their recovery.

To make the vision accessible to all, SAMHSA remains committed to breaking down the wall between the mental health care and substance abuse treatment systems so that people with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems receive comprehensive, coordinated treatment.

More recently, Agency efforts in connection with the 2005 hurricanes in the Gulf States and in the international arena—particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan—have persuaded me even more profoundly about the universality of SAMHSA's vision. Throughout the world, people's needs, hopes, and aspirations are more similar than we may think.

I anticipate watching SAMHSA's achievements grow after I leave, and I look forward to continuing my own efforts to improve the lives of all people with or at risk for mental and substance use disorders. 

Charles G. Curie, M.A., A.C.S.W.
Administrator, SAMHSA

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