Tom CODERRE – Rockville

Biography

Tom Coderre is the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), the federal agency in the United States responsible for advancing the behavioral health of the nation. With decades of public, private, and non-profit service, Mr. Coderre’s career has been significantly influenced by his personal journey and a philosophy that acknowledges the essential role peer recovery support services play in helping people with mental and substance use disorders rebuild their lives.

Prior to his current leadership role at SAMHSA, Mr. Coderre was the Region 1 Administrator and led the prioritization of prevention, treatment and recovery services under the strain of COVID-19. He reconvened the Federal Interagency Workgroup on Opioids and as overdoses spiked throughout 2020, he brought the region together to identify programmatic and policy solutions to respond. Mr. Coderre is also the former Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor at the agency. Mr. Coderre led the SAMHSA team that produced “Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health.”

A former Senior Advisor to the Governor of Rhode Island, Mr. Coderre co-chaired a task force that coordinated a multi-layered strategy to address the opioid crisis. Mr. Coderre also worked on mental health policy and helped draft an Executive Order to improve access to treatment by enforcing parity laws. He also worked with the State Police to establish the Hope Initiative, the first statewide program that engages law enforcement personnel in a proactive outreach strategy to combat the opioid overdose epidemic.

Mr. Coderre is the former National Field Director of Faces & Voices of Recovery and appeared in the documentary film The Anonymous People. He served as a member of the Rhode Island Senate from 1995 to 2003 and as Chief of Staff to the Senate President from 2009 to 2014. He has been recognized on numerous occasions for his dedication and advocacy efforts. Mr. Coderre is a graduate of both the Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College.