Paige Alitz

Paige Alitz, Ph.D., MPH, serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Florida's School of Health Services Administration while concurrently holding a position as Project Officer at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). With over a decade of expertise in public health infrastructure, crisis intervention, and substance abuse policy, her work bridges academic research and federal program implementation for Florida grant recipients.

Her academic credentials include:

• Doctor of Philosophy from the University of South Florida
• Master of Public Health from the University of South Florida
• Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa

Dr. Alitz's research portfolio emphasizes practical applications in mental health crisis response systems and health equity. Her field experience spans global public health initiatives in Nicaragua and Haiti, where she implemented clean water systems and nutrition education programs. Her doctoral work pioneered analysis of drug court efficacy in Hillsborough County and mobile crisis teams' role in reducing mental health criminalization—work directly informing her current SAMHSA oversight of First Responders-CARA programs.

She actively shapes federal policy through grant management for HIV prevention and harm reduction initiatives while maintaining academic contributions through health services administration education. Her career trajectory demonstrates consistent integration of community-based research with operational public health leadership.