Citation

McCance-Katz EF. Psychiatr. Serv. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

10.1176/appi.ps.202000075

PMID

32212908

Abstract

It has been nearly 2 years since I first wrote in this journal about reform efforts at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). At that time, I described SAMHSA’s plans to better serve Americans living with mental and substance use disorders. Since then, much has been accomplished, but many challenges remain.

In 2018, I spoke of several priorities. These included addressing serious mental illness, the opioids crisis, and the need to train health care practitioners in evidence-based practices in behavioral health. SAMHSA has now created a national network of regionally based technology transfer centers that work together to develop and deliver training and education for specific content areas in substance abuse prevention, addiction, and mental health (https://www.samhsa.gov/practitioner-training). Further, these regional centers, which are mainly academically based, also provide direct implementation training and technical assistance on request to local health care organizations and providers.

SAMHSA has established several national training centers, including the Clinical Support System for Serious Mental Illness, which was awarded to the American Psychiatric Association. This program, known to most as SMI Adviser, provides training and technical assistance on the care and treatment of illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression ...

Language: en