Author: Dept. of Mental Health

The holiday season for most people is a fun time of the year filled with parties, celebrations, and social gatherings with family and friends. But for many others, it is a time filled with sadness, self-reflection, loneliness, depression and anxiety.

Many Alabamians struggle with substance abuse disorders. The negative effect of the abuse is seen on the news almost every day. But the reality is, people do recover and go on to lead successful lives. Reducing stigma by openly talking

The “Securing Alabama’s Facilities of Education” (SAFE) Council was created by Governor Ivey on March 6, to study school safety. My goal as part of my inclusion on the council, is to ensure preventive and interventional mental health services are

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week is also included in the celebration. These two issues are very dear to me and causes I have supported for many years. Read more…

This edition of the Outlook holds a special meaning to me as we celebrate two important awareness months: Development Disabilities Month and Autism Awareness Month. There is a very special face that I put on all my work here at

The success of our work in mental health, substance abuse and developmental disabilities is built from the ground up, by a combination of many elements. Some of those elements the Alabama Department of Mental Health and its providers directly manage