Summary: Jean Bennett says one of her main jobs as a SAMHSA official is making sure that when there is a conversation about health, behavioral health is at the table.

It is my pleasure to announce that Christopher M. Jones, PharmD, M.P.H., has joined SAMHSA as the first Director of the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory. The Policy Lab was created as part of the 21st Century Cures Act and promotes innovation and the dissemination and adoption of evidence-based practices and service delivery models related to mental health and substance use, including through the evaluation of models that would benefit from further development and through expanding, replicating, or scaling evidence-based programs, policies, and practices.

Cindy Kemp helps people with serious mental illnesses get the help, treatment services and recovery supports they need, so they can lead healthy lives.

As SAMHSA continues its efforts to improve the behavioral health of children, adults, families, communities, tribes, territories, and states across the country, we have been working diligently to fill a number of key leadership and management roles.Today, I share some important personnel announcements:

After almost six fulfilling years of working for the Obama Administration and with all of you, I am resigning from the position of SAMHSA Administrator, effective August 22, 2015.  As I contemplate leaving, I want to tell all of you how much SAMHSA’s work means to me and to the nation.SAMHSA is an amazing federal agency.  It is a leader in behavioral health grant-making, policy, and data. It works to inform the public, improve practice, and regulate critical functions affecting tens of millions of Americans.  It has less funds and even less staff than many of its counterparts with whom it collaborates, and yet is very effective and efficient in what it does.