CENTER ON SAMI

The purpose of the Center on Substance Abuse and Mental Illness is to provide education, research, training, and consultation in the fields of substance abuse and mental health, with particular emphasis on the co-existence of substance and mental disorders.

The Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences (MSASS) has long recognized its responsibility to provide productive educational, clinical, and research experiences for students in the areas of substance abuse and mental health. Concentrations with specialized course curriculum and field placements, as well as research projects, exist in both areas. Historically, MSASS has been awarded federal-level training grants by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Significant support for research studies have been provided by the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH), the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board, and local and national foundations. The co-existence of both substance and mental disorders has been recognized as a common occurrence, and has become a topic of importance in both fields. Concurrent with this importance is the need for additional education, training, and research.

The Center on Substance Abuse and Mental Illness was formed in September 2002. The Center is comprised of three initiatives (education, training, and research) that focus on co-occurring substance and mental disorders:

1. The Ohio Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Coordinating Center of Excellence (Ohio SAMI CCOE) is a partnership between the Mandel School and the Department of Psychiatry at the Case School of Medicine. It is supported by the Ohio Department of Mental Health, the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, the Woodruff Foundation, and the Bruening Foundation.

2.The Dual Disorders Research Program is a five-year Social Work Research Development Program grant from NIDA in the area of co-existing drug and mental health disorders.

 

3. The Co-Morbidity Training Program for Mental Health and Addiction Practitioners and Mandel Students is funded by the Woodruff Foundation and ODMH.

              

The Center is co-directed by Drs. Mark Singer and David Biegel. Numerous Mandel School faculty work on center-related projects/programs and form the nucleus of the Center's workforce.

 

The Center's plans include the submission of federal and state grant proposals for research, training, and education in the area of dual disorders. Funding is also being sought for support of forums and conferences and a Center newsletter.