From April 2002 NASW NEWS
Copyright ©2002, National Association of Social Workers, Inc.

NASW, SAMHSA Find Many Ways for Efforts To Intersect, Says Clark

Ways of supporting common agendas are explored.

By John V. O'Neill, MSW, NEWS Staff

Following a February meeting between NASW executives and Charles Curie, administrator of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), "there appear to be many ways NASW and SAMHSA efforts can intersect," said NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark.

Clark attended the meeting with Toby Weismiller, head of NASW's Professional Development and Advocacy Division, and David Dempsey, head of the association's Governmental Relations Department.

Among issues they discussed with Curie and his staff were:

  • NASW's interest in a focus on mental health during the year-long process of building an action agenda for the White House New Freedom Initiative-National Mental Health Commission.
  • Strengthening and possibly expanding the SAMHSA-NASW collaboration, especially in facilitating the dissemination of research findings so social work practice has a deeper evidence base. NASW already has two contracts with SAMHSA agencies to increase social workers' knowledge base, the HIV/AIDS Spectrum Project and the Practice Research Network.
  • The newly developed NASW cultural competence standards and ways social workers can be trained in their use.
  • Ways NASW can be helpful in supporting congressional funding for services and research to advance the joint agendas of the association and SAMHSA.

Curie, a longtime NASW member, is "committed to bringing the social work perspective to bear on issues of substance abuse and mental illness in this country," said Clark. "NASW has a long-standing history of working with SAMHSA. The Curie appointment will strengthen that relationship."

Curie discussed his top priorities for SAMHSA: co-occurring disorders; substance abuse treatment gaps; seclusion and restraint; prevention and early intervention; and children's agenda.

Curie, formerly a state official in Pennsylvania, directs the $3 billion-per-year federal agency that houses the Center for Mental Health Services, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

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