Connecting with SAMHSA online | By Amy Delamaide

CCSR Peer Educator Christine Young recently received an e-newsletter from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is the national government's behavioral health administration, that promoted its online outreach work.

Increasing Outreach, Feedback, and Virtual Communities

Facebook. YouTube. Twitter. Blogs. In response to President Obama's request for Open Government, SAMHSA has developed a robust “digital engagement” program with established presences on four major social media channels. At the center of it all, SAMHSA's blog serves as the hub for these behavioral-health-focused efforts and expands SAMHSA's connections across the Nation.

Christine notes, "This opens access to so many more people. There need to be responsible concerns about security and having personal information out there, but I think services that are being provided need to evolve with the times."

Lael Ewy adds, "As a way of hitting people where they are, SAMHSA is doing the right thing. The interactive blog is a great idea as well: open government becomes responsive government in that case, and that’s really what we want it to be, especially when the issues and policies are complex."

CCSR looks forward to following and liking SAMHSA.

To connect with SAMHSA, check out their social media page.