In Case You Haven't Heard

There are things happening at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) — probably best summed up as turnover, but considering that the new administration is halfway through its term, it's confusing that there is such little information. Chideha Ohuoha, M.D., M.P.H., announced as director of SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment just weeks ago (we were still waiting to be allowed to interview him), last week got a new position: senior medical officer of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer. At the same time, in a letter to stakeholders obtained by ADAW, he announced that he would retire from the federal government in February. Fran Harding, head of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, will be leaving this month — also not officially announced by SAMHSA. Paolo del Vecchio, longtime director of the Center for Mental Health Services, has been replaced by Anita Everett, M.D., who was appointed as chief medical officer at SAMHSA more than two years ago in a restructuring (see ADAW , Aug. 15, 2016). You guessed it — not officially announced. What's going on at the centers? Is there a restructuring? Are directors being replaced? The official response from SAMHSA: “No comment.” Comments from stakeholders in the field? A big sigh with a “who knows?” At least the agency is continuing to administer billions of dollars in new grants, under the plainspoken leadership of Elinore McCance‐Katz, M.D., who has bristled against what she saw as the nonmedical stance of former SAMHSA leadership.