We have an important opportunity coming up next week to to both support and push SAMHSA to keep a strong focus on children and adolescents with emotional challenges and their families – especially through System of Care programs and initiatives that have proven to be so successful over the past 20 years.

Remember – a visionary sees the light in the dark. This is one of many important opportunities for you as an individual citizen to help SAMHSA see the light and be visionary in these economically dark times.

Date: August 16, 2011        Time: 8:30 am – 5:30 pm

Location: Join the meeting in person if you are in town or attend via webcast (you must register by tomorrow, August 11th)

• SAMHSA
  1 Choke Cherry Road 
  Lobby Level Conference Rooms
  Rockville, MD 20857

What’s on the agenda?

The agenda includes a report from the SAMHSA Administrator and discussions related to SAMHSA’s fiscal year 2012 budget; substance abuse and mental health issues among women and girls; principles of recovery; workforce development; and an update on SAMHSA’s National Quality Framework and Agenda.

Who will be there?

In addition to the SAMHSA Administrator and staff, participants will include:

• SAMHSA National Advisory Council (NAC)
• Center for Mental Health Services NAC
• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention NAC
• Center for Substance Abuse Treatment NAC
• Advisory Committee for Women’s Services
• Tribal Technical Advisory Committee.

Why are these people so important?

Because they advise SAMHSA on how best to implement strategies to achieve their stated goals. So we as citizens have a choice. We can either leave it up to them (they are quite knowledgeable and capable) or we can lend our voice of both support and concern to help them make more fully informed decisions. The agenda includes a report from the SAMHSA Administrator and discussions related to SAMHSA’s fiscal year 2012 budget; substance abuse and mental health issues among women and girls; principles of recovery; workforce development; and an update on SAMHSA’s National Quality Framework and Agenda.

The joint meeting will be webcast. Those who register to attend by webcast will be emailed information before August 15.

If I could only ask one question, what would it be?

It appears to us that both the language of systems of care and a focus on children and adolescents with emotional challenges seem to be getting more sparse in the conversation about the future direction of SAMHSA. What is your position as Advisory members on the importance of ensuring that sufficient funding remains available to support family driven and youth guided system of care development efforts?

What if I can’t attend either in person or via webcast?

We will have Children’s Mental Health Network members on the webcast as well as members and partners in the audience. We will provide a complete review of the meeting the next day, August 17th.

Registration Deadline: Thursday, August 11, 2011