Leadership

SAMHSA’s Executive Leadership Team serves as the agency’s top advisors and program administrators for substance abuse prevention and treatment, mental health, crisis care, Tribal behavioral health, recovery, and more.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary

Christopher D. Carroll, MSc

Senior Advisors

Rick Lambert, M.D.

Senior Advisor

Center and Office Directors

Rear Admiral Christopher Jones, Pharm.D., Dr.P.H., M.P.H.

Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP); Acting Director of the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ)

Daniel Lonnerdal, M.S., FACHE

Executive Officer; Director of SAMHSA’s Office of Management, Technology, and Operations (OMTO)

Neeraj Gandotra, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer

Coqui Aspiazu

Director of the Office of Communications

Tison Thomas, Ph.D., M.S.W.

Acting Director of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS)

Karran A. Phillips, M.D., MSc

Acting Director, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)

Odessa Crocker

Acting Director of the Office of Financial Resources (OFR)

CAPT Karen Hearod, M.S.W., LCSW

Director of the Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy (OTAP)

Rachele C. Espiritu, Ph.D.

Director of the Office of Minority Health

Dona Dmitrovic

Acting Director of the Office of Recovery (OR)

James Wright, M.S., LPC

Acting Director, 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office

Last Updated: 02/27/2026