Letter

Attachment 2

SAMHSA Agency-wide Strategic Communication Plan:

Leadership Invitation Email/Letter to Participate with Key Informant Interviews

[To be distributed as an email from the SAMHSA OC Director]

Dear [insert name],

Behavioral health challenges continue to grow as a prominent public health issue facing our nation. The passage of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 have raised awareness that behavioral health is essential to overall health and wellbeing. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) mission, as the public health agency tasked with advancing behavioral health, is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. To ensure that SAMHSA is meeting its mission and promise, we are contacting a variety of organizations with an interest in behavioral health to provide input into our communication activities.

I am requesting your time to participate in a brief interview that will inform SAMHSA’s three-year strategic communication planning. Your input will shape how SAMHSA will provide information to meet the needs of your organization and others in the behavioral health field.

SAMHSA Office of Communications’ contractor staff will contact you to schedule a 30-minute telephone call to help assess these needs. Discussion questions will be focused on identifying current needs and resources for behavioral health information, experience with SAMHSA products and resources, and preferred communication channels.

Thank you for your participation in this interview. Your contribution will be valuable in helping SAMHSA improve the behavioral health of our communities.

Sincerely,

[Insert electronic signature for the SAMHSA OC Director]

Marla Hendriksson

Director, Office of Communications

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration