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National Council Senior Advisor Appointed to ONDCP Position

After nearly four years with the National Council for Behavioral Health, Tom Hill, MSW, is headed to work for a second presidential administration.

Hill, who joined the National Council in March 2017 as vice president for practice improvement and transitioned into a senior advisor role last year, has been named senior policy advisor for the Office of National Drug Control Policy by the Biden administration. Prior to his time with the National Council, Hill served as a senior advisor on addiction and recovery for SAMHSA until January 2017 under the administration of President Barack Obama.

Hill also previously served as a senior associate at the Altarum Institute and as director of programs for Faces and Voices of Recovery. During his career, he has received numerous honors, including the Johnson Institute America Honors Recovery Award, a Robert Wood Johnson Fellowship in the Developing Leadership in Reducing Substance Abuse initiative, and the Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals and Their Allies (NALGAP) Advocacy Award, which is presented each year at the National Conference on Addiction Disorders.

Hill tells BHE that he is looking forward to joining the Biden-Harris administration in the coming days, where he hopes to promote evidence-based treatment, recovery support and harm reduction, especially as the nation grapples with two health crises—substance use and the pandemic.

“[The administration’s] decision to prioritize COVID-19 and other pressing healthcare issues through public health and racial equity approaches represents the careful, thoughtful leadership we so desperately need right now,” he says. “As COVID-19 comingles with an increasing addiction and overdose epidemic, I have confidence that ONDCP will develop a solid public health core and examine harmful and discriminatory policies, especially towards Black communities. It is time to advance policies that promote evidence-based and recovery-oriented practices that cover the full range of prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction services.”

National Council president and CEO Chuck Ingoglia says Hill’s appointment to his new role with ONDCPO is “significant,” given current events.

“Tom’s lived experience, his depth of knowledge and his firm grasp of the issues will help the federal government address the substance use crisis in a meaningful way,” Ingoglia says. “So, I’m gratified to see one of our own transition to such an important role. But mostly I’m thankful to see someone with such great skill have this opportunity to influence policies that will help people and communities.”

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