Terry Cline

Terry Cline is an American psychologist and public health policy specialist. Since December 2006 he has served in the administration of President George W. Bush as the administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, within the Department of Health and Human Services. He previously occupied a variety of health policy positions in the state government of Oklahoma.

Biographical sketch

Cline grew up in Ardmore, Oklahoma and attended the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1980. He then received both a master’s degree and a Ph. D. in clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University, following which he held a six year appointment as a clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Cline also served as the Chairman of the Governing Board for a Harvard Community Teaching Hospital in Cambridge for several years.

Cline served as a Health Care Policy Fellow at the federal Center for Mental Health Services in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in Washington D.C. While there, his primary focus was on the organization and financing of mental health services. During the 1990’s, he served as the Clinical Director of the Cambridge Youth Guidance Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts and was employed as a Staff Psychologist at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Cline returned to Oklahoma to accept the position of Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in January 2001. Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry appointed Cline as Secretary of Health in 2004. From 2004 onward, Secretary Cline also concurrently served as Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

President George W. Bush nominated Cline to head SAMSHA in November 2006, and his nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December.Secretary Names Next Health Attaché To Iraq

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Mike Leavitt announced July 22, 2008 that Terry Cline, Ph.D., will become the Department’s next Health Attaché and representative at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, effective August 31st.

“Terry’s experiences as a caregiver, manager of State-level health systems and builder of strong collaborative relationships make him an excellent choice to help the U.S. government advise Iraq as it rebuilds its health care system,” Secretary Leavitt said. “I appreciate Terry’s commitment to improving health care globally, and welcome him to this important new role.”

As Health Attaché, Dr. Cline will coordinate HHS programs in Iraq and provide advice to the U.S. ambassador, HHS Secretary and others. He will also be a liaison to Iraq’s Ministries of Health, Higher Education and Social Affairs, and will work closely with international organizations, private partners and other U.S. government agencies engaged in health-related activities.