SAMHSA has announced the appointment of staff for SAMHSA’s new Office of Recovery. They will be charged with promoting recovery and recovery support services across the nation. The Office Director will be Paolo del Vecchio, a person in recovery from both mental health and substance use conditions. Del Vecchio currently serves as SAMHSA’s Executive Officer and Director of the Office of Management, Technology and Operations and previously served as Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services.

He will be joined by Dona Dmitrovic as Senior Advisor, who previously served as the Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Dmitrovic is a person in long-term recovery from substance use.

The Office of Recovery “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 support the growth and expansion of recovery support services across the country.” It is intended to be “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.”

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is launching an Office of Recovery, within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to advance the agency’s commitment to, and support of, recovery for all Americans. September marks National Recovery Month, and in organizing this new office, SAMHSA will now have a dedicated team with a deep understanding of recovery to promote policies, programs and services to those in or seeking recovery.