Mental Health Expert Kenneth J. Martinez Appointed to SAMHSA National Advisory Council

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell has appointed Kenneth J. Martinez, a children’s mental health expert at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), to a three-year term on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Advisory Council.

“SAMSHA does tremendously important work to advance behavioral health. I am honored to be asked to contribute to its efforts,” said Dr. Martinez.

National Advisory Council members advise and make recommendations to the secretary and the administrator of SAMHSA about mental health promotion and prevention as well as matters to improve the provision of treatment and related services to individuals with substance use and mental illness.

Dr. Martinez is a principal researcher and resource specialist with the National Resource Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention at AIR. He has been a licensed clinical psychologist for more than 35 years and has worked in the behavioral health field in a variety of capacities including clinician, university faculty, state administrator, consultant, technical assistance provider and volunteer. 

About AIR
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education, and workforce productivity. For more information, visit www.air.org.

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