President Trump nominates Timothy Westlake to lead SAMHSA

Mr. Lev’s report examines Americans’ deadly hostility toward addiction drugs, substandard care provided in prisons and jails, changes in the supply and consumption of illegal drugs, debates over harm reduction, and recent innovations in addiction medicine. You can contact him on Signal (levfacher.51).

Nearly 18 months after taking office, President Trump has named the leaders of the federal agencies that oversee mental health and addiction policy.

If confirmed by the Senate, Timothy Westlake, a Wisconsin-based physician with decades of both clinical and policy experience, would become assistant secretary for mental health and substance use. In this position, he will also become head of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which has operated without a long leadership since President Trump took office in January 2025.

Notably, the White House did not formally announce selections for the key role overseeing the agency, which manages billions of dollars and regulates the practice of psychiatry and addiction medicine. Instead, President Trump quietly placed his name on the list of nominees that will be sent to the Senate on July 14th. In contrast, in a March 2025 Truth Social post, President Trump announced former Fox News correspondent Sarah Carter as a candidate for the affiliated agency, the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

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