Office of Recovery

The Office of Recovery’s role was established to evaluate and initiate policy, programs and services with a recovery focus and ensure the voices of individuals in recovery are represented. The Office will forge partnerships to support all people, families and communities impacted by mental health and/or substance use conditions to pursue recovery, be resilient and achieve wellness.

A national clearinghouse and resource for recovery-oriented care across the mental health, substance use, and co-occurring domains, the Office promotes a recovery-oriented system of care working in partnership with recovery community leaders, tracking progress over time and identifying to resolve barriers to system transformation.

Initial objectives include:

  • Ensure that recovery is a guiding principle in SAMHSA’s policies, programs, and services.
  • Foster the meaningful involvement of a wide array of people with lived experience to improve behavioral health practices.
  • Increase opportunities for recovery for underserved and under-resourced populations and communities including people of color, youth, older adults, LGBTQI+, rural, veterans and people with disabilities. Identify health disparities in high-risk and vulnerable populations and ensure equity for recovery support.
  • Expand peer-provided services within every community.
  • Address key social determinants that support recovery including access to housing, education, social support, and employment.
  • Promote training and public education opportunities on recovery.
  • Explore opportunities to partner with the philanthropic and private sectors to support innovative programming to address disparities and advance recovery transformation.
  • Support implementation of any dedicated recovery resources to states for recovery support services.
  • Expand wholistic, self-care strategies to improve health and behavioral health outcomes — including the reduction of early mortality and impact of co-morbid chronic health conditions—and to integrate recovery-oriented practices and systemic reform into the full continuum of health and behavioral healthcare including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, crisis care, and recovery supports.

Resources

Staff

Office of the Director

Paolo del Vecchio, M.S.W., Director

Dona Dmitrovic, MHS, Senior Advisor

Larry Davidson, Ph.D., Senior Advisor

Staff:

  • David Awadalla, Public Health Analyst
  • Sabrina Frost, Executive Assistant
  • Steven Fry, Public Health Analyst
  • Grace Lee, Statistician
  • Guadalupe (Lupe) Mendez, Public Health Advisor
  • Elizabeth Sweet, Public Health Advisor
  • Wanda Finch, Special Expert
  • Kristen Harper, Public Health Advisor

Last Updated: 05/31/2023