Dona Dmitrovic

Currently serving as the Acting Director in the Office of Recovery, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Dona supports recovery initiatives across the agency. In her previous role, she served as the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention providing executive leadership for federal efforts to improve the nation’s behavioral health through evidence-based substance use prevention approaches. Ms. Dmitrovic is an experienced executive with over 37 years in the substance use field. She has experience in raising public awareness and supporting program development and implementation for individuals with mental health and substance use conditions through advocacy, policy, and program development. Most importantly, Ms. Dmitrovic has lived experience of long-term recovery and is a family member of loved ones in recovery. This personal experience drives her passion to ensure opportunities exist to support others’ path to wellness.

Prior to her arrival at SAMHSA, she served as the Executive Director of Foundation for Recovery in Las Vegas, NV, where she developed and implemented peer recovery support programs, education and training on peer support services and led the organization’s growth to a statewide agency. Ms. Dmitrovic also held the position of Director, National Office of Consumer Affairs for Optum Behavioral Health, UnitedHeathcare. There she used her vast experience to develop peer products and tools to support individuals with substance use disorders. As the Chief Operating Officer for the RASE Project in Pennsylvania, Ms. Dmitrovic assisted the CEO, launching the Buprenorphine Coordinator program serving opioid dependent individuals with recovery support services in medication assisted treatment (MAT); one of the first in the country which received two national awards for innovation. Dona was also the Director of Education and Advocacy at Johnson Institute in Washington, DC and the first Executive Director of Pennsylvania Recovery Organizations Alliance, the statewide recovery community organization in Harrisburg, PA.