Session Description: This presentation will provide an overview of recent federal efforts to advance recovery-oriented approaches across policy and practice.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the number of Americans in recovery
• Identify the give goals of the National Recovery Agenda
• Identify 3 key aspects of the National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification

Tom Coderre
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, SAMHSA
Tom Coderre is the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA). With decades of public, private, and non-profit service, Mr. Coderre is the first person in recovery to lead SAMHSA. Mr. Coderre’s career has been significantly influenced by his personal journey and a philosophy that acknowledges the essential role peer recovery support services play in helping people with mental and substance use disorders rebuild their lives.

In his role as SAMHSA’s Region 1 Administrator, Mr. Coderre led the prioritization of prevention, treatment and recovery services under the strain of COVID-19. He reconvened the Federal Interagency Workgroup on Opioids and as overdoses spiked throughout 2020, he brought the region together to identify programmatic and policy solutions to respond.

Tom is the former Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and Senior Advisor to the SAMHSA Administrator. Mr. Coderre led the team that produced “Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health.”

As Senior Advisor to Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, Mr. Coderre co- chaired a task force that coordinated a multi-layered strategy to address the opioid crisis. Mr. Coderre worked on mental health policy and helped draft an Executive Order to improve access to treatment by enforcing parity laws. He also worked with the State Police to establish the Hope Initiative, the first statewide program that engages law enforcement personnel in a proactive public health approach to combat the overdose epidemic.

Mr. Coderre is the former National Field Director of Faces & Voices of Recovery and appeared in the documentary film The Anonymous People. He served as a member of the Rhode Island Senate from 1995 to 2003 and as Chief of Staff to the Senate President from 2009 to 2014. He has been recognized on numerous occasions for his dedication and advocacy efforts. Mr. Coderre is a graduate of both the Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College.

Paolo del Vecchio, M.S.W.
Director of the Office of Recovery, SAMHSA       
Mr. del Vecchio is the Director of the Office of Recovery where he provides leadership for SAMHSA’s efforts to advance recovery across the nation. This includes expanding the availability of recovery support services – including peer services, housing, employment, and whole health care – to people with mental health and/or substance use conditions and their families.

Previously, Mr. del Vecchio served as SAMHSA’s Executive Officer and Director of the Office of Management, Technology and Operations and led improvements in the areas of human resources, information technology, ethics, and more. He also previously served as Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services, providing executive leadership for Federal efforts to improve the nation’s mental health service systems. This included management of the federal/state mental health block grant program and directing a range of programs and activities that address topics such as suicide prevention, children’s mental health, homelessness, disaster mental health, HIV/AIDS, and others.

A person in long-term recovery from mental health conditions and addictions as well as a trauma survivor, Mr. del Vecchio has over 40 years of behavioral health experience 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 leader and speaker.

Presentation Material

New Federal Efforts to Advance Recovery Across the Nation