Mark Salzer who gets funds from SAMHSA supports SAMHSA

Mark Salzer, Ph.D., who is Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Temple University wrote a surprising oped for the Philiadelphia Inquirer. It claimed, “SAMHSA has clearly served people with serious mental illnesses” and “The elimination or curtailment of SAMHSA would be a major blow to progressive mental-health policies in the United States.”

There were no real specifics and the massive evidence documenting problems at SAMHSA shows eliminating it and transferring it’s responsibilities elsewhere would likely improve services for the most seriously mentally ill. So Mental Illness Policy Org. decided to look into what might have led Dr. Salzer come to his conclusion.

Dr. Salzer’s CV shows that he and his projects receive over $4 million directly from SAMHSA.

It is not known if this financial support from SAMHSA influenced his high opinion of SAMHSA or he really believes what he wrote. It is not known if he disclosed what most would consider a serious conflict to the editors before submitting his oped. The oped itself made no disclosure.

Almost all the support, the only support, for SAMHSA seems to come from those who receive money from it or benefit from it. It is not surprising they want their sugar daddy to stay in existence. 

Following are the grants Dr. Salzer lists on his CV. Over $4 million are identified by him as coming from SAMHSA.

• Principal Investigator. Evaluation of Friends Connection. SAMHSA CMHS Consumer-Initiated Services Collaborative Agreement (SM52355; $2,267,034; 9/98-9/03).
• Principal Director. DELCO (PA) Self-Directed Care Project. Transformation Technology Transfer Initiative, SAMHSA. ($221,000; 5/1/14 – 6/30/15).
• Principal Director. Enhancing the role of Pennsylvania’s Statewide Network of Certified Peer Specialists. SAMHSA Transformation Transfer Initiative ($107,000; 1/12 – 9/12).
• Evaluation Co-Director. CABHI-States. SAMHSA States CABHI Initiative, subcontract to Mental Health Association of Southeastern PA. (1H79TI025346-01; $1,500,000; $156, 354 subcontract; 10/13 – 9/16).
• Evaluation Co-Director. Philadelphia Homeless Initiative. SAMHSA CABHI Initiative, subcontract to Mental Health Association of Southeastern PA. (TI23520; $1,500,000; $150,000 subcontract; 7/12 –6/15).
• Consultant. Infusing Peer Specialists into Pennsylvania’s Behavioral Health Crisis Services System. Transformation Technology Transfer Initiative, SAMHSA. ($221,000; 1/1/15 – 9/30/15).
• Evaluation Consultant. Certified Peer Support Specialists as Healthcare Navigators and Wellness Coaches Within Federally Qualified Health Centers. SAMHSA Transformation Transfer Initiative to Michigan ($221,000; 1/12 – 8/12).
• Evaluator and proposal consultant. Pennsylvania Statewide Consumer Network Grant. (Mary Kohut, PI). Funded by SAMHSA/CMHS (SM56338-01; $70,000; 10/1/04 – 9/30/06).
• Principal Consultant. National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse. Funded by SAMHSA/CMHS (SM56065-01 - Joseph Rogers, PI). ($495,000; 10/1/03 – 9/30/04).
• Evaluator. Family Ties (Training, Instruction, Empowerment, and Support). Funded by PEW Foundation to Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania ($210,000; 4/1/10 – 3/31/13)
• Evaluation Director and consultant. National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse. Funded by SAMHSA/CMHS (Joseph Rogers, PI). ($1,200,000; 10/1/07 – 9/30/10).
• Evaluator. Keystone Pride Recovery Initiative. Funded by SAMHSA Consumer Network grant (5SMO59833-02) to the Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers Association ($70,000; 10/10 – 9/13).

 He also does work for other entitites that get their own funds from SAMHSA. These are just a few. 

• Consultant. Promoting Olmstead in Pennsylvania. Advocates for Human Potential ($20,000; 1/12 – 9/12).
• Program Director. Philadelphia Disaster Response Network. Contract with Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania ($22,751; 9/1/02 – 4/1/03).
• Evaluation Director and consultant. National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse. Funded by SAMHSA/CMHS (Joseph Rogers, PI). ($1,100,000; 10/1/04 – 9/30/07).

Most of the studies which Dr. Salzer is associated with above, seem to focus on peer support. SAMHSA’s own review of the research shows: “The literature [on peer support] that does exist tends to be descriptive and lacks experimental rigor." We don't know if SAMHSA was referring to this research. SAMHSA funds other research.

The well-respected Cochrane Collaborative reviewed all the high- and low-quality data on peer support and concluded: 

Involving consumer-providers in mental health teams results in psychosocial, mental health symptom and service use outcomes for clients that were no better or worse than those achieved by professionals employed in similar roles, particularly for case management.

Another study, also not by Salzer, "adds to the evidence suggesting no short-term incremental benefit (or harm) from peer services beyond usual care.” 

In spite of this research casting doubt on peer support, SAMHSA continues to fund it. Is that why SAMHSA supported researchers and consumer groups want to preserve SAMHSA?