1. Title: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Policy on the Inclusion of People 

with Lived Experience 

Effective Date: May 1, 2023 

2. Background: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has 

identified recovery as a guiding principle in pursuit of its mission to lead public health and service 

delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and 

supports to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes. SAMHSA’s definition 

of recovery emphasizes the importance of self-determination and involvement of people with lived 

experience. Executive Order 14035 requires Federal agencies to promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion 

and Accessibility (DEIA) in the workplace. 

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) identified that “(e)ngaging people 

with lived experience represents one key way that federal agencies gather important information, shape 

programming and policy, and help improve outcomes for those served.”

Finally, SAMHSA’s vision reflects a recovery-orientation that “people with, affected by, or at risk for 

mental health and substance use conditions receive care, thrive and achieve wellbeing.”

3. Policy Statement: SAMHSA recognizes that people with lived experience are fundamental to 

improving mental health and substance use services and should be meaningfully involved in the 

planning, delivery, administration, evaluation, and policy development of services and supports to 

improve our processes and outcomes. 

4. Scope: All SAMHSA activities should be fully inclusive of people lived experience including, but not 

limited to, the areas of: 

• Human resources (e.g., recruitment and retention in all levels of the organization), 

• Grants and contracts (e.g., required activities, peer reviewers), 

• Data and evaluation, 

• Meetings 

• Communications, 

• Evidence-based practice development, 

• Equity), 

• Policy formulation, 

• Site Visits; and 

• National advisory councils (e.g., membership). 

Such activities should include a focus on engaging diverse, under-represented and under-resourced 

populations including youth and young adults, older adults, people of color, Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, 

Transgender, Queer and Intersex LGBTQI+, rural populations, veterans, and people with cooccurring disabilities in meaningful participation (i.e. more than one person or representative). 
5. Responsibilities:

5.1 The lead office for the development and oversight of the SAMHSA Policy on the Inclusion of People 

with Lived Experience is the Office of Recovery (OR) 

5.2 The approving authority for this policy is the Assistant Secretary (AS). 

5.3 The responsible party for ensuring this policy is updated when a significant change occurs is the OR

working on conjunction with members of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). 

5.4 The members of the ELT are the responsible parties for implementing the policy. 

5.5 The OR is responsible for providing consultation regarding adoption and update of this policy. 

6. Procedures:

6.1 Process for including people with lived experience: 

a. On an annual basis, each ELT member will meet with the OR to review current and planned

activities to identify:

1) Current level of involvement and targets.

2) Gaps in involvement.

3) Challenges in complying with this policy in any particular activity.

4) Efforts to advance inclusion moving forward.

b. OR will report to ELT the findings and recommendations from this review.

c. The OR will offer technical assistance in helping resolve gaps and overcoming challenges and in

identifying steps to advance inclusion moving forward.

7. Special Requirements:

7.1 Renewal Frequency - Review annually in January of each year. 

/s/ ________________ ______________ 

Thomas Coderre 

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary 

/s/ ________________ ______________ 

Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D. 

/Thomas Coderre/

/Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon/
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use 

Addendums 

A. Abbreviations - As used in this Policy, the following abbreviations signify: 

a. AS – Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use 

b. DEIA – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility 

c. ELT - Executive Leadership Team 

d. HHS – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

e. LGBTQI+ - Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning and Intersex 

f. OAS - Office of the Assistant Secretary 

g. OMTO - Office of Management, Technology, and Operations 

h. OR – Office of Recovery within the OAS 

i. People with lived experience – individuals who self-identify as having experienced 

mental health and/or substance use conditions and their family members. 

j. SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

B. Reference Documents: 

a. Draft SAMHSA Strategic Plan (2023): accessed on 4/11/23at 

https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/draft-strategic-plan-2023.pdf

b. SAMHSA’s Working Definition of Recovery; accessed on 3/1/23 at:

c. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/pep12-recdef.pdf 

d. Executive Order 14035: accessed on 11/22/22 at: 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidentialactions/2021/06/25/executive-order-on-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-accessibility-inthe-federal-workforce/

e. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2021). Methods and Emerging 

Strategies to Engage People with Lived Experience. Accessed on 11/22/22 at: 

https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/47f62cae96710d1fa13b0f590f2d1b

03/lived-experience-brief.pdf