[NYAPRS Enews] HHS: Pam Hyde to Step Down as SAMHSA Administrator

[Harvey Rosenthal]

The following comes from US Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell.

Colleagues,

I write today to share the news that after nearly 6 years of service, Pam Hyde will be stepping down as the Administrator at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) on August 21. Pam joined HHS in November 2009, and has been a tremendous senior leader at the Department, bringing commitment and compassion to her work every day.

During her tenure, Pam has taken on a number of leadership roles. She worked with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and the Surgeon General to create the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. Pam and her team helped to plan and execute the 2013 White House Conference on Mental Health, launching a national dialogue on mental health.  Pam spearheaded the Department's work surrounding President Obama's Now is the Time initiative, which among its many goals, aims to increase access to mental health services across the United States. Pam has also been integral to the Administration's work in response to the crisis of opioid and prescription drug use and misuse, working to expand access to life-saving overdose reversal medication, as well as medication assisted treatment for those with opioid addiction.

She has been a steadfast leader for SAMSHA. Pam has helped to lead the HHS Behavioral Health Coordinating Council and has worked to integrate behavioral health into all of HHS' coverage, prevention, treatment, and human services programs.  She has been involved in implementing landmark mental health parity legislation, and worked to develop strong systems of prevention and treatment for those who experience mental health and substance abuse disorders.

Pam's commitment to her work at SAMHSA is remarkable. She has spent her career as a mental health policy expert and advocate and delivered impact for the American people.  I am thankful to have served alongside her at the Department.

SAMHSA is an important part of the Department, and I am committed to ensuring it has strong leadership until the end of the Administration. I would like to thank Kana Enomoto, SAMHSA's Principal Deputy Administrator, who has agreed to serve as the Acting Administrator.  Kana has been a trusted advisor to Pam, and I am looking forward to working with her in this new capacity.

Please join me in thanking Pam for her service, and wishing her all the best in her next steps.

 Sincerely,

 Sylvia M. Burwell
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