Leadership Development

The field of addiction treatment is facing a transition as many current leaders in the profession are retiring. The Partners for Recovery (PFR) initiative is working to support leadership development activities, including the sponsorship of Regional Leadership Institutes, which, through concentrated 6-month programs, will focus on developing a cadre of emerging leaders.

Since 2006, PFR has supported several leadership institutes for behavioral health care professionals. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, preventive care has received heightened prominence. There is now an increased emphasis on substance use prevention and mental health promotion in the nation's health care delivery system. In light of the evolving U.S. healthcare environment, PFR—in collaboration with the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and the Graduate School USA—piloted SAMHSA's first School for Prevention Leadership (SPL) designed specifically for substance use prevention professionals. This pilot integrated general leadership skill-building exercises for professionals with specific knowledge relevant to the prevention field. The SPL assisted community- and State-level prevention professionals in developing a set of leadership skills and a knowledge base to effectively navigate the anticipated changes brought about by health care reform.

A summary report (21pp, PDF, 915KB) prepared by PFR provides a snapshot of the SPL and includes a synopsis of the School's objectives and structure, participants' feedback, and lessons learned.

PFR also developed State health care reform informational sheets (104pp, ZIP, 16MB) for the SPL, which were distributed during an SPL in-person training session. These sheets--one for each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico--serve as a quick and easy reference for:

• State data such as health spending or percentage of uninsured residents;
• The status of efforts to create a health insurance exchange;
• Health insurance enrollment services offered in the State; and
• Other enrollment opportunities offered by the State, such as Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or other miscellaneous assistance.

Visit the Archive section of the PFR Resources page for documents about leadership and leadership development.