With more than three decades of experience in behavioral health, Dr. Tison Thomas has devoted his career to advancing mental health policy, practice, and services across federal, state, and local systems. He currently serves as the Acting Director of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In this role, he leads national efforts to strengthen the mental health system, expand access to evidence-based services, and guide federal initiatives related to crisis response and community mental health.
Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Thomas served as Deputy Director of CMHS beginning in 2022. In that role, he collaborated with senior leadership to oversee programs of national significance, shape behavioral health policy, and manage the development and implementation of grants and technical assistance contracts supporting communities nationwide. Earlier, as Director of CMHS’s Division of State and Community Systems Development, he oversaw major federal mental health funding programs, including the federal Mental Health Services Block Grant, the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness and the Community Mental Health Centers grant. Through this work, Dr. Thomas ensured that vital resources reached states and localities to support individuals with serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, individuals experiencing homelessness, and their families. He also served as a subject matter expert on co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Before joining SAMHSA, Dr. Thomas held key leadership roles at the state level, where he led behavioral health system transformation initiatives. His work emphasized integrating mental health and substance use services, implementing evidence-based practices such as integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders, Motivational Interviewing, Assertive Community Treatment, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and improving quality across public behavioral health systems. Earlier in his career, he provided direct clinical services to adults and children in behavioral health managed care, emergency psychiatry, crisis centers, and community mental health programs serving individuals experiencing homelessness.
Dr. Thomas brings a comprehensive perspective to behavioral health leadership through his combined expertise in policy development, grant management, and clinical practice. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree, and a Ph.D. in Social Work. A licensed clinical social worker, Dr. Thomas grounds his leadership in both administrative and clinical experience, advancing behavioral health care for all.