SAMHSA
SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is the agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services that leads federal public health efforts on mental health and substance use.
Also called Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Last reviewed
- 3 sources, linked
- 5 related terms
What it means
Congress created SAMHSA in 1992. It funds state and community care through block grants and discretionary grants, publishes clinical guidance such as its Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs), runs the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, certifies opioid treatment programs and, with HHS's Office for Civil Rights, issues the 42 CFR Part 2 confidentiality rules.
For the public, SAMHSA runs FindTreatment.gov, a confidential locator of state-licensed treatment providers, and the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357), a free, confidential treatment referral and information service that answers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English and Spanish. For a crisis, its pages point people to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Why it matters for your website
SAMHSA's publications are among the strongest sources a treatment page can cite for a clinical claim, far stronger than another center's blog. Link to them by name when you explain detox, medications or co-occurring care.
Check your FindTreatment.gov listing. It is a public federal listing of your services, payment options and address, and every one of those details should match your website.
Sources
The facts on this page about a law, a regulator, a clinical standard or a platform come from these sources. Each link opens the original in a new tab.
- SAMHSAAbout Us (opens in a new tab)
- SAMHSANational Helpline for Mental Health, Drug, Alcohol Issues (opens in a new tab)
- SAMHSAFindTreatment.gov (opens in a new tab)
Last reviewed
This entry explains a rule so you can plan a website around it. It is not legal advice: for a decision about your own program, ask a healthcare attorney.
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