Office of Recovery

The Office of Recovery’s role was established to advance recovery across the nation. The Office will forge partnerships to support all people, families and communities impacted by mental health and/or substance use conditions to pursue recovery, build resilience and achieve wellness.

SAMHSA National Recovery Agenda Goals

• Inclusion - To foster the meaningful involvement of an array of people with lived/living experience to improve behavioral health practice and policy and to foster the social inclusion of people with behavioral health conditions.
• Equity - To increase equity and opportunities for recovery for underserved and under-resourced populations and communities including people of color, youth, older adults, women and girls, LGBTQI+, rural, veterans and people with disabilities.
• Peer Services - To expand peer-provided recovery support services within every community.
• Social Determinants - To address key social determinants that support recovery including access to high quality and affordable housing, education, social supports, transportation, and employment.
• Wellness - To expand holistic, self-care strategies and to integrate recovery-oriented practices and systemic reform into the full continuum prevention, harm reduction, treatment, crisis care, and recovery support.

Learn more about recovery and recovery support.

Staff

Office of the Director

Paolo del Vecchio, M.S.W., Director

Michael Askew, Deputy Director

Dona Dmitrovic, M.H.S., Senior Advisor

Wanda Finch, M.S.W., M.Ed., LICSW, C.A.S., Special Expert

Staff:

• David Awadalla, Public Health Analyst
• Sabrina Frost, Executive Assistant
• Steven Fry, Public Health Analyst
• Grace Lee, Statistician
• Guadalupe (Lupe) Mendez, Public Health Advisor
• Elizabeth Sweet, Public Health Advisor
• Kristen Harper, Public Health Advisor
• Paul Kalchbrenner, Public Health Advisor