Dr. M. Valerie Mills
Dr. M. Valerie Mills is a senior public health administrator with the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). She recently returned to this position after a two year assignment with the White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) where she served as the senior advisor on issues relating to mental health and aging, substance abuse and the elderly and affordable and available senior housing.
Dr. Mills, served as the associate Administrator for HIV/AIDS at SAMHSA from 1997 to 2004 where she successfully engineered and assisted the Agency in obtaining a total of $192M in newly appropriated funds for SAMHSA from the Congressional Black Caucus/National Minority AIDS Initiative (CBC/NMAI) for Fiscal Years 1999 to 2003 for substance abuse treatment and prevention and mental health services for the homeless, women, children, youth and families.
In collaboration with colleges, universities, community and faith-based institutions and organizations throughout the country, Dr. Mills has directed research and evaluation project pertinent to health promotion and health prevention. She has developed research designs and survey instruments with a return rate of 85% from more than 500 college students responding to “what they want and need to know to change their behaviors and attitudes.” A number of years ago, Dr. Mills formed and developed one of the first faith based and directed HIV/AIDS Prevention program on the east coast. She has extensive knowledge and experience in what it takes to start a consultancy business in research and evaluation. She has administered and managed a staff of more than 120 staff with one of the District’s high profile agency in the Department of Health; therefore, she has hands-on experience and knowledge regarding Employee Asset Mapping.
As a professional contractor for many years, she was successful in developing cohesive relations with foundations and government agencies, and instrumental in assisting numerous organizations from day care and child care centers to behavioral research and management corporations with visualizing and executing successful proposals. Now, as a senior government employee, Dr. Mills recognizes the necessary tools and requirements for developing quality grant proposals, and is pleased to share her knowledge and years of experience. With her cadre of professionals, she will also introduce the participants to key individuals who have also demonstrated success in these areas.
Dr. Mills has more than 20 years professional service with both the Federal and State government. As a Senior Public Health Advisor at SAMHSA, she has designed, initiated and coordinated public health programs relating to mental health, substance abuse (including alcohol) around both prevention and treatment. She is presently working on Public Health policies as related to homelessness, minority health issues, cultural competency and eliminating disparities and health literacy.
Dr. Mills’ extensive Federal Government experience has awarded her close professional working relationships with several of the agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), i.e., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the Office of Women Health (OWH) and the Office of Minority Health
Dr. Mills' educational profile includes a Bachelor degree in Sociology from a Historically Black University, A& T State University in Greensboro, NC, Master degree in Social Work Administration from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ and a PhD in Health Services from Walden University affiliated with Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.