U.S. National Library of Medicine

Introduction to Health Services Research : A Self-Study Course

Module 3: Selected Players (Federal and Private) (Page 9 of 27)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (//www.samhsa.gov/) is the Federal agency charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses.

SAMHSA was established by Congress on October 1, 1992 to strengthen the nation's health care delivery system for prevention and treatment services for substance abuse and mental illnesses. SAMHSA is an operating division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Content on the Web site is organized by broad topical area such as:

• Types of Data
• State & Metro Reports
• Quality Metrics
• Behavioral Health Outcomes
• Data Resources
• Evaluation & Services
• other information on such topics as grants, specific drugs, homelessness, pandemic flu, suicide prevention and underage drinking to name a few is also linked from the left navigation bar on the home page

You might wish to visit these pages, too, as outcomes and evidence-based information is often very useful in providing research information to your clientele:

• National Behavioral Health Quality Framework
• National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices

SAMHSA consists of three centers - the Center for Mental Health Services, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment -as well as the Office of Applied Studies. These centers provide consumers with referrals, publications (a catalog and a newsletter), and reference information. Materials are also available in Spanish. SAMHSA sponsors conferences and training seminars.

Professional resources such as publications, conferences, technical assistance, grant funding and a mailing list for notification of new content can be obtained from the site. Grants can be applied for online. Researchers should click on the Resources for Researchers link for valuable information on data, methodology, online data analysis and topics - and to be put on a mailing list for new Office of Applied Studies reports.

For data applying to substance abuse and mental health, SAMHSA is the place to visit. Data that includes trend data, service data, and reports summarizing data can be downloaded and used. Topics include drugs, population groups, prevention measures, treatment, workplace and related topics.

Notification Services

Sign up for SAMHSA’s eNetwork to receive information about SAMHSA’s work in the substance abuse and mental health fields. Information includes

• New Grant Announcements
• National Survey on Drug Use and Health data findings
• SAMHSA News Releases
• SAMHSA campaigns and initiatives
• Newly published substance abuse treatment publications

Discussion Questions

1. Is SAMHSA a good site to locate information on drug-related ER visits and mortality? How about for suicide data and violent behavior?
2. How useful is the section on data, outcomes, and quality? What types of information can you find in the methodology section?
3. When working with the public (as well as researchers) can you find specific information such as cigarette brand preferences? How about the use of over-the-counter drugs?
4. Are cigars as much of a problem to your health as cigarettes are?
5. What are club drugs and why are they a problem?