Kevin Ann Huckshorn, Ph.D., R.N., C.A.D.C., I.C.R.C.

Kevin Ann Huckshorn, Ph.D., R.N., C.A.D.C., I.C.R.C.

Dr. Huckshorn is the Director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) for the state of Delaware. The Director of DSAMH is an appointed position that reports directly to the Cabinet Secretary for the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. The position oversees the planning, program development, fiscal responsibilities, contractual obligations, contract monitoring, federal block grants, and operations of the state hospital and all DSAMH community contractors. This position oversees a budget of over 110 million, 600+ state staff, and a variety of community providers. The position is also responsible for the state-run outpatient clinics, substance abuse service system, state hospital services, and a variety of other inpatient and outpatient programs. Ms. Huckshorn is a licensed and certified mental health nurse and substance abuse clinician with practical knowledge from rse and substance abuse clinician with practical knowledge from 34 years of professional frontline experience working in a variety of public and private mental health organizations and substance abuse programs. She is lead in the implementation of the USDOJ settlement agreement signed on July 15, 2011.

Dr. Huckshorn has extensive experience in both inpatient and outpatient program development, including peer-run projects; state hospital service re-design; psychiatric rehabilitation treatment programs for persons with serious mental illness; and recovery-based mental health and substance abuse services. She has published on topics including violence, treatment adherence, trauma-informed care, and workforce development; serves on the editorial boards of two U.S. peer reviewed mental health journals; and co-authored a book with William Anthony, PhD, titled Principled Leadership in Mental Health Systems and Programs (2008). Ms. Huckshorn was the recent past Director of the Office of Technical Assistance for the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and the National Coordinating Center for Seclusion and Restraint Reduction where she led the development of an evidence-based model to prevent violence and the use of seclusion and restraint.