Listening Session
SAMHSA’s Advisory Committee on Women’s Services (ACWS) convened a listening session at the recent Third National Conference on Women, Addiction, and Recovery.
SAMHSA’s Acting Deputy Administrator Kana Enomoto (left) presents a lifetime achievement award to Dr. Vivian Brown (right) in honor of her retirement.
The purpose of the listening session was to hear from conference attendees about specific needs and concerns from the field. More than 100 individuals filled the meeting room to listen or to offer a question or comment.
SAMHSA Acting Deputy Administrator Kana Enomoto, M.A., ACWS Chair, served as the listening session’s moderator. She directed audience questions to specific Committee members and to Dr. H. Westley Clark, Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) who sat in as a guest expert.
“As you can see this is a stellar group,” said Ms. Enomoto as she introduced Committee members (see roster below) to the audience. “Together they are effective in cultural competence, evidence-based practices, models for suicide prevention, trauma-informed care, and more,” she said.
Questions focused on treatment and prevention issues related to criminal justice, child welfare, housing, violence against women and girls, teen pregnancy, mandates for gender-specific recovery programs, funding challenges, services for women veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and workforce issues.
Committee member Renata J. Henry (right) responds to a participant at the recent listen session of SAMHSA’s Advisory Committee on Women’s Services.
Queries were accepted anonymously or speakers could give their names.
The Committee is authorized by law to advise SAMHSA on appropriate activities to be undertaken by the Agency with respect to women’s substance abuse and mental health services, including services that require a multidisciplinary approach.
Recommendations offered by participants at the listening session will be integrated into the upcoming ACWS strategic planning process and into the Committee’s upcoming advice to SAMHSA.
Roster
Biographies Charter Committee Overview
Chair (Acting) Kana Enomoto, M.A.
Acting Associate Administrator for Women’s Services and Acting Deputy Administrator, SAMHSA, Rockville, MD 20857
Designated Federal Official
Carol Watkins, Public Health Analyst, SAMHSA, Rockville, MD 20857
Susan C. Ayers, L.I.C.S.W., Executive Director of the Guidance Center, Inc., is a leading provider of comprehensive child and family services in Cambridge, MA.
Jean Lau Chin, Ed.D., is Professor and Dean at the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies of Adelphi University, Garden City, NY.
Stephanie S. Covington, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., is a clinician, author, organizational consultant, and lecturer on gender-responsive and trauma-informed services in La Jolla, CA.
Roger D. Fallot, Ph.D., is Director of Research and Evaluation at Community Connections, Washington, DC, and a national consultant specializing in trauma-informed systems of care.
Renata J. Henry, M.Ed., is Director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, an operating division of Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS), New Castle, DE.
Gail P. Hutchings, M.P.A., is president and CEO of the Behavioral Health Policy Collaborative in Alexandria, VA.
Amanda Manbeck, is Executive Director and Program Manager of White Bison, Inc., which provides resources to the Native American community nationwide, in Colorado Springs, CO.
Jacki McKinney, M.S.W., is Director and co-founder of the National People of Color Consumer/Survivor Network of Philadelphia, PA, and Program Manager at the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care.
Britt Rios-Ellis, Ph.D., is Professor of Health Science at California State University Long Beach (CSULB) and the Director of the National Council of La Raza/CSULB Center for Latino Community Health.
SAMHSA’s Advisory Committee for Women’s Services (ACWS), established in 1992, meets twice yearly and advises, consults with, and makes recommendations to the Associate Administrator for Women’s Services, the SAMHSA Administrator, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on activities and policies related to women’s substance abuse and mental health services.
For more information, visit SAMHSA’s Web site at www.samhsa.gov.