Charles G. Curie is the principal and founder of THE CURIE GROUP, LLC, a management and consulting firm specializing in working with national and international leaders in public and private healthcare, particularly mental health (MH) services and substance use (SU) treatment and prevention arenas, to facilitate the transformation of services and to attain increasingly positive outcomes in the lives of people worldwide. Curie has over 40 years of professional experience in the MH and SU services fields and has authored and co-authored articles on various topics related to the field, including co-occurring disorders and the reduction and elimination of seclusion and restraint practices.

In 2001, Curie was nominated by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to head the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). As SAMHSA Administrator, Curie led the $3.4 billion agency responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the Nation’s SU treatment and prevention and MH services. Articulating the vision of “a life in the community for everyone”, Curie charted a new course for SAMHSA. Highlights of accomplishments include: The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, the Strategic Prevention Framework for substance use prevention, Access to Recovery, National Outcome Measures, and work with post-conflict and war-torn countries MH and SU systems.

Prior to his confirmation as SAMHSA Administrator, Curie was appointed by Governor Tom Ridge as Deputy Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) for the Dept. of Public Welfare in Pennsylvania. During his tenure the Behavioral HealthChoices Medicaid managed care program was implemented and he established a policy to reduce and ultimately eliminate the use of seclusion and restraint practices in the state hospital system. This program won the 2000 Innovations in American Government Award from Harvard University, The Ford Foundation and The Center for Excellence in Government.

Previous professional experience includes Director of Risk Management Services, Henry S. Lehr, Inc., Bethlehem, PA; President/CEO, Helen H. Stevens Community Mental Health Center, Carlisle, PA; and Executive Director/CEO, Sandusky Valley Center, Tiffin, OH.

Curie has received numerous awards and honors, including a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa from Huntington University, 2012; the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration (SSA) E. Abbott Lifetime Achievement Award, 2011; The John P. McGovern Award for Substance Abuse Prevention, 2005; and The Society of Prevention Research Public Service Award, 2004.

Curie holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration and a Bachelor of Arts from Huntington University. He was appointed to the 2020 Behavioral Health Integration Task Force of the Bipartisan Policy Center, Washington, DC and serves on a number of corporate and non-profit boards.