From Exclusion to Belonging:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Supporting State and Community efforts to Address Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues

Center for Mental Health Services

The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) leads Federal efforts in expanding the availability and accessibility of high-quality, community-based services for adults with serious mental illnesses and children with serious emotional disturbances. CMHS administers the Mental Health Services Block Grant Program—the single largest Federal contribution to improving mental health service systems across the country. CMHS also administers a portfolio of discretionary grant programs to prevent mental health problems, promote mentally healthy communities, and expand the use of evidence-based practices.

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) works to improve the quality of substance abuse prevention practices in every community. Through its discretionary grant programs and 20 percent of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program, CSAP provides States, communities, organizations, and families with tools to promote protective factors and to reduce risk factors for substance abuse.

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment

The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) promotes the quality and availability of community-based substance abuse treatment services for individuals and families who need them under their discretionary grant programs. CSAT works with States and community-based groups to improve and expand existing substance abuse treatment services under the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program.

Office of Applied Studies

The Office of Applied Studies (OAS) collects, analyzes, and disseminates national data on behavioral health practices and issues and is responsible for the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the Drug Abuse Warning Network, and the Drug and Alcohol Services Information System, among other projects including the National Outcome Measures.

SAMHSA’s Three Strategic Goals: Accountability, Capacity, and Effectiveness (ACE)

SAMHSA has streamlined its operations and has developed a strategy that allows it to pursue its mission as a one-SAMHSA in the most deliberate manner possible. The Strategic Plan is designed around three "ACE" goals:

• Accountability
• Capacity
• Effectiveness

The Accountability goal targets results with regard to programs, policies, and practices that SAMHSA promulgates through grants, contracts, and knowledge dissemination. It ensures that appropriate data collection is established for the purposes of measuring performance and managing agency processes.

The Capacity goal reflects SAMHSA's activities to build the infrastructure that provides mental health and substance abuse services throughout the Nation. SAMHSA’s block and formula grants are key components of SAMHSA’s efforts to achieve its Capacity goal.

The Effectiveness goal focuses on ensuring that the infrastructure that delivers mental health and substance abuse services promotes policies, programs, and practices that are evidence-based. SAMHSA's science-to-services activities, knowledge dissemination, and orientation toward best practices help it achieve its Effectiveness goal.