SAMHSA In Brief
SAMHSA 20th Anniversary Celebration
SAMHSA's Former Administrators with Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. L to R: Elaine McDowell, Ph.D., Joseph H. Autry, III, M.D., Charles Curie, M.A., Terry Cline, Ph.D., Eric Broderick, RADM, D.D.S., M.P.H., Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. Missing: Former Administrator Nelba Chavez, Ph.D.
SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D., welcomed former SAMHSA Administrators, current staff members, and behavioral health stakeholders on October 4th, 2012, for SAMHSA: A Celebration of 20 Years. The event, which capped the celebration of SAMHSA's 20th year of service to the behavioral health community, was held at SAMHSA's offices in Rockville, MD. Administrator Hyde reflected on the past 20 years and also talked about SAMHSA's role moving forward. "Today, we lead through the transformation of our nation's health system via the Affordable Care Act, making sure that behavioral health is essential to the health of America and making sure that America and its leaders and its communities know that prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover from addiction and from mental health conditions."
Administrator Hyde served as moderator for two panel discussions. The first panel included five former SAMHSA administrators who discussed the evolution of behavioral health services in America. The panel noted that, throughout its existence, SAMHSA had the opportunity to influence public policy regarding mental and substance use disorders, which has had an impact on how behavioral health is perceived in America.
In the second panel discussion, four expert panelists discussed achieving behavioral health imperatives in America and the progress that has been made in improving behavioral health services. The event closed with presentations of Administrator's Awards to current and former SAMHSA staff members including recognizing SAMHSA staff members who have been with SAMHSA since its creation in 1992.
To learn more about SAMHSA's 20 year history including a timeline of milestone events read Celebrating Two Decades of Progress in the Behavioral Health Field, SAMHSA News, Volume 20, Issue 2, Summer 2012.
Behavioral Health Issues Among Afghanistan and Iraq U.S. War Veterans
Since 2001, more than 2.2 million U.S. veterans have served in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom). The In Brief "Behavioral Health Issues Among Afghanistan and Iraq U.S. War Veterans," introduces healthcare and social service providers to some of the behavioral health issues facing these veterans. These include substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and suicide. This document also includes information about how providers can use brief intervention tactics and provide online screening tools for assessing behavioral health problems among veterans. Resources for veterans and their families are also included.
Download or order the In Brief at SAMHSA store.
SAMHSA's Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series (DBHIS) contains themed installments of resources and toolkits in disaster behavioral health. Each installment focuses on a specific population, disaster type, or other topic pertinent to disaster behavioral health preparedness, response, and recovery.
DBHIS has released a new Disaster Response Template Toolkit featuring public education materials that disaster behavioral health response programs can use to create resources for reaching people affected by a disaster. The template kit includes print materials such as brochures, door hangers, flyers, newsletters, tip sheets, wallet cards, and postcards that can be completely customized. The toolkit also has web and multimedia materials such as sample blog posts and public service announcement scripts. Many of the links contain downloadable templates and online tools that have been used in previous disaster situations across the country. The templates can be adapted for future use as desired. For example, an organization may add their specific program contact information, point of contact reference, or branding such as logos. In addition, the content can be tailored to fit specific program needs.
To download and learn more about DBHIS resources visit DBHIS Templates and DBHIS resources.