30 Catching up with...(continued) Roland Lamb 2015 Health Leader Roland Lamb has worked in the field of treating alcohol and substance abuse for more than 40 years. Roland Lamb has received a promotion since he was recognized as a health leader in 2015. He is now a deputy commissioner in the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS). The department works with people who are experiencing a wide range of problems, from addiction to depression. When asked why he was chosen for his new job, Mr. Lamb laughed and said, “Somebody thought I was doing a good job where I was. They thought it was a good idea to give me more work.” Mr. Lamb had been the director of the Office of Addiction Services in DBHIDS. In his new job, he leads a team that seeks ways to make life better for people with mental-health problems and disabilities. “I get to interact with a much larger group of people,” he says of his new job. “Even though I spend time in the office, I get out into the community and meet people for all kinds of reasons and discuss what their needs are.” Mr. Lamb says the opioid epidemic is one of the biggest challenges Philadelphia faces. Opioids are drugs such as strong painkillers and heroin. Many people have become addicted to the drugs, and some overdose and die. Mr. Lamb says that some people develop an addiction when they are prescribed one of the drugs to deal with pain from an illness or an injury. They acquire a constant desire for the drug and continue to take it even after they heal. “The number of people who are addicted is startling to me,” he says. Although he has tough issues to solve in Philadelphia, Mr. Lamb says that “working with people motivates me.” He says he is encour- aged when people recover from addiction or from a traumatic life experience. He says he wants everyone in Philadelphia to have the opportunity to receive the help they need. “Everyone is important,” Mr. Lamb says. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t matter.” —By Fit Fin staff James Dobson Elementary School