SAMHSA Selects Kimberly A. Johnson, Ph.D., as CSAT Director

SAMHSA is pleased to announce the selection of Kimberly A. Johnson, Ph.D., as the permanent Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). In her new role, Dr. Johnson will be responsible for the leadership, management, and operations of CSAT's more than $2 billion budget with a significant portfolio of grants and contracts to states, tribes, territories, communities, and nonprofit organizations. She will begin her role at SAMHSA on February 22, 2016.

Dr. Johnson brings outstanding leadership to the SAMHSA team. She is currently the deputy director for operations of CHESS/NIATx, a research center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison that focuses on systems improvement in behavioral health and the development of mobile applications for patient self-management. Dr. Johnson is also co-director of the national coordinating office of the Addiction Technology Transfer Center. Prior to her move to Wisconsin, she served for seven years as the director of the Office of Substance Abuse in Maine. In her work with the State of Maine, Dr. Johnson provided leadership in identifying and treating the opioid epidemic. This included developing plans to reduce misuse and increase access to treatment including medication assisted treatment, and equipping first responders with Narcan. She also served as executive director of Crossroads for Women, a women’s addiction treatment agency. In addition, Dr. Johnson managed community-based intervention and prevention programs and provided counseling for individuals and families as a child and family 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.