Behavioral Health Systems
Paolo del Vecchio, MSW, is the Director of the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)'s Center for Mental
Health Services (CMHS). SAMHSA is the lead Federal agency designed to
reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's
communities.
Previously, Paolo was the CMHS Associate Director for Consumer
Affairs where he managed SAMHSA's precedent-setting activities in
addressing consumer participation and education, issues of
discrimination and stigma, consumer rights, wellness, recovery, trauma,
and others.
Paolo was the first Consumer Affairs Specialist hired in 1995 by
SAMHSA. In this capacity, he promoted consumer participation in all
aspects of the Center's policies and operations ranging from public
education to developing evidence based practices to address the needs of
persons with mental illnesses. Those efforts included initiating
historic dialogue meetings between consumers/peers and practitioners,
regional peer meetings, social inclusion efforts, training programs, and
grant development.
Prior to joining SAMHSA, Paolo worked for the Philadelphia Office of
Mental Health in the areas of policy formulation and the planning of a
comprehensive system of community-based mental health services
addressing homelessness, HIV/AIDS, and many other issues.
A self-identified mental health consumer, trauma survivor, and person
in recovery from addictions, Paolo has been involved for over 40 years
in behavioral health as a consumer, family member, provider, advocate,
and policy maker. He graduated summa cum laude with a master's degree in
social work from Temple University, has published widely and is a
highly sought after national and international speaker. Paolo has been a
leader in many Federal efforts including the Mental Health Statistics
Improvement Project Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee, the Federal Advisory
Planning Board for the Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, the
HHS Multiple Chronic Conditions and Community Living Initiatives, and
numerous others.
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