Pamela Hyde has worked in government all her life, all around the country, using lessons she first learned as a political science student at Missouri State.

“I went on to get a law degree, and practiced for a very short time, but quickly got into public administration. I started at a state level, advocating for people with mental disabilities.”

Eventually, her work with public health care and human services agencies, and her connections with elected officials, put her in line for a top federal job.

In August, she stepped down as administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, also known as SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

Hyde had been appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2009.

Before leaving the post, Hyde said she was able to fulfill one of the greatest goals she set when taking the position: bringing behavioral health — the prevention and treatment of mental illness, substance use or addiction — into mainstream health care.

“If we don’t prevent addiction and mental illness and take care of people with those conditions, then we are going to have difficulties in families, in child welfare systems and in the criminal justice system.”

Addressing those issues, she said, starts with coordinating efforts in primary health care to prevent and treat disorders early, and supporting people in their recovery from these conditions.

She said it was thrilling to play a part in policy that will affect the whole country.

“As the administrator, I got to be at tables few others got to be. For example, in the Affordable Care Act implementation, I was at the table talking about how best to make sure people with behavioral health disorders received coverage in the marketplace.”

Hyde, a Springfield native, said the foundation she built at Missouri State prepared her for a life of public service.

“Professors challenged us to think about the world differently. I grew up — as many people in southern Missouri probably have — in a very conservative, religious home. I haven’t lost that sense of values. I just shifted a little bit in how I think about it.”

One course in particular seemed to foreshadow her career trajectory: a nine-credit-hour seminar course with a culminating paper on the power of the presidency.

“It was fascinating thinking about the power the president has and the power the president doesn’t have, and the constraints a president is under. I never thought at the time that I would eventually work for the president.”

Now home in New Mexico with her partner and two dogs, she’s not sure she’s done with work entirely — she is considering becoming a consultant.

“I definitely can’t imagine doing nothing!”

She said the passion for public affairs she found at Missouri State helped motivate and inspire her throughout her career.

“I think I’ve used my political science degree well. I’ve always said that I’ve worked to make a difference, not to make a living.”

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