What does the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration do?

Updates published annually

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a subdivision of the US Department of Health and Human Services responsible for improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitative services to reduce illness, death, disability, and the cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses. SAMHSA leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation and works to improve the lives of individuals living with mental and substance use disorders and their families. It was established in 1992.

In FY 2024,

$8.89B

was spent by the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration

In FY 2024,

0.5%

of Dept. of Health and Human Services spending was by the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration

How much does the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration spend?

The Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration spent a net total of $8.89 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.5% of the $1.72 trillion spent by the Department of Health and Human Services, which itself was 25.4% of all federal spending. The SAMHSA ranked 6th among HHS subdivisions in net spending.

Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration ranked 6th among Department of Health and Human Services divisions in net spending in 2024.

HHS net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration’s federal spending has increased from $4.31 billion in 1980 to $8.89 billion in 2024.

The Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by SAMHSA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration's spending has increased 106.2%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.

As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. SAMHSA spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, SAMHSA accounted for 0.1% of overall federal spending.

Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by SAMHSA as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.

In FY 2024, the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration transferred 86.5% of its total spending to states and local governments.

The chart below outlines all net SAMHSA spending.

How did the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to SAMHSA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration?

Some 916 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration as of September 2024. This is 69.9% more people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration has increased 69.9% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for SAMHSA, September 2010–2024

The Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration accounts for 0.04% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a larger share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.026%).

While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration’s share of the workforce (0.04%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.1%).

Who leads the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration?

The SAMHSA is led by an administrator. This individual is appointed by the president of the United States and does not require Senate confirmation. The SAMHSA administrator reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. There is no fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

Office of Personnel Management
FedScope
Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury
Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement