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SAMHSA names new Center for Substance Abuse Treatment director

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recently announced the appointment of Kimberly A. Johnson, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, as the director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

Johnson will be responsible for the leadership, management and operations of the center’s $2 million budget that includes grants and contracts to states, tribes, territories, communities and nonprofit organizations.

She will begin her role on February 22.

Johnson is currently the deputy director for operations of CHESS/NIATx, a research center at the University of Wisconsin that aims to improve systems of behavioral health and development of mobile applications for patient self-management.

She is also the codirector of the national coordinating office at the Addiction Technology Transfer Center.

She previously served as the director of the Office of Substance Abuse in Maine, where she was able to provide leadership in identifying and treating the opioid epidemic.

She has served as executive director of Crossroads for Women, managed community-based intervention and prevention programs and provided counseling for individuals and families as a therapist.

“Dr. Johnson will be an excellent addition to the SAMHSA team. She brings a wealth of knowledge in substance use disorder treatment, management and systems in support of SAMHSA's mission to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illnesses on America's communities,” the organization wrote in a press release.