A local leader in addressing substance use and addiction has been appointed to a national committee upon the recommendation of Vermont Governor Phil Scott.
Cynthia Seivwright, from Essex Junction, was recently selected to serve on the newly-founded U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Interdepartmental Substance Use Disorders Coordinating Committee.
Seivwright currently serves as the director of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs Division with the Vermont Department of Health.
“Cindy is a leader in our work to advance alcohol and drug prevention, treatment, and recovery,” said Scott. “While there is much we can continue to improve on, Vermont has been a leader, nationally, in these efforts. Cindy will bring a breadth of experience and expertise to this committee to help stem the tide of this crisis.”
The Coordinating Committee is charged with providing recommendations to HHS and the Office of National Drug Control Policy for improving federal programs for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery.
Seivwright looks forward to applying her first-hand experience to inform the committee and ensure that federal strategies are aligned with those of the state and local levels.
“This is well-deserved recognition of Cindy’s unique talents and her contributions to addressing the complex challenges of addiction and substance use disorder,” said Health Commissioner Mark Levine.
Seivwright received her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England, and she is a Vermont Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. She has spent time as an emergency services worker for the community health center in Rutland, Vt.--as well as a psychotherapist working with adults and adolescents. Prior to joining the Department of Health, Seivwright worked at the Department of Mental Health as an acute care manager and quality improvement manager. She also spent time at the Department of Vermont Health Access as the director of quality improvement and clinical integrity.
Story credit: The Essex Reporter
Photo credit: The Rutland Herald