FSSA names new director for Division of Mental Health and Addiction 

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration announces that Sarah Sailors has been named director of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction. Sailors has worked with families and children in the human services sector for more than 25 years, including more than 19 years with the Indiana Department of Child Services.  

“Sarah joins the Division of Mental Health and Addiction at a crucial time, as the team has launched the pilot Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic model and is continuing to develop the three pillars of the 988 crisis response system,” FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob said. “We look forward to her contributions and leadership of this important team.”  

Sailors has served in multiple executive roles at DCS over the past seven years, including her most recent role of chief deputy director and senior advisor. During her time at DCS, Sailors led many initiatives to support the state’s most vulnerable children and the staff who serve them including the Children’s Mental Health Initiative, Worker2Worker program and the cross-agency Children with High Acuity Needs Project.  

“At DMHA, I look forward to continuing to serve Indiana’s communities by ensuring they have access to quality mental health and substance use disorder preventions, treatment and recovery systems,” Sailors said. “When we provide access to these services in a sustainable, thoughtful way, we are supporting individuals, families and communities.”

Sailors has an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Illinois Central College, a bachelor’s degree in family community services from East Carolina University and a master’s degree in social work from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis.