S U P H R
Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction (SUPHR) is a division of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH). The division is comprised of 9 teams: Bereavement (Philly HEALs), Communications, Community Engagement, Environmental Services, Epidemiology, Harm Reduction, Medical, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Philly LIFTS), and Overdose Fatality Review (OD Stat).
Meet the Operations Team
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Andrew Best, Jr., DPA, MPA, MBA, MSS, LCSW
DIVISION DIRECTOR
Dr. Andrew Best, Jr. (he/him), joined SUPHR in May 2022 and has worked for the City of Philadelphia since 2014. Dr. Best has extensive experience in behavioral health, substance use prevention, case management, grants management, and program evaluation. Prior to joining SUPHR, Dr. Best worked with the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) in various capacities. Most recently, he served as the Health Program Manager for the Single County Authority (SCA) Operations Unit. This role focused on grants implementation, program evaluation, contract management, and fiscal management. His previous experience with DBHIDS included managing substance use prevention, early intervention, recovery support, and treatment programming. He also has experience providing individual therapy, group therapy, and crisis intervention services to a multitude of populations.
Dr. Best earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Pre-Law Concentration) with a minor in African American Studies from Howard University and the Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Public Management from West Chester University. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Pennsylvania and earned his Master of Social Service with a concentration in Clinical Social Work from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. Dr. Best earned a Doctor of Public Administration as well as a certificate in Public Administration from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. His dissertation titled “Nonmedical Prescription Opioid Use in Adolescents” focused on comparing adolescent rates of prescription opioid use and implementation dates of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP).
Dr. Best’s roots are in North Carolina, but Philadelphia has been his home for the last 26 years. Dr. Best is deeply committed to social justice and working with marginalized communities to ensure equitable access to healthcare, harm reduction, and behavioral health services for all Philadelphians.
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Almitra Sutton-Bey
CONTRACT COORDINATOR
Almitra (she/her) is an experienced social service professional with over 25 years of municipal government experience. Driven by a profound sense of social and economic justice, she takes pride in providing first-class service to the citizens and businesses of Philadelphia. Almitra is currently the Contract Coordinator for the SUPHR. She coordinates and monitors contracts for vendors doing business with the City of Philadelphia. Almitra sees herself as a social worker at heart, working to bring trauma-informed care and practices wherever she goes. Almitra worked closely with Dr. Sandra Bloom to implement the Sanctuary Model of practice at the Philadelphia Department of Human Services, where she worked for 15 years. She has a reputation for being a strong collaborator and is often sought after to motivate others during times of change. Almitra’s commitment to her community extends beyond her employment. She has volunteered at several community and cultural arts organizations over the years. In 2019, Almitra received the Philadelphia Fire Department Civilian Excellence Award for her exceptional service as a civilian employee.
Almitra Sutton-Bey is a lifelong Philadelphian, Civil Service employee, and graduate of Temple University.
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Maha Bayan
GRANTS MANAGER
Maha (she/her) is the Grants Manager of SUPHR. She provides administrative oversight and project direction of the Division's state and federal grant-funded programs. Prior to joining PDPH, she served as Supports Coordinator, providing case management services to the ID/DD population.
Through her work, she is committed to advancing administrative and operational services and programs to better serve the Philadelphia community. Maha earned her undergraduate degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Stockton University.
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Allie Faulkner, MSW
GRANTS COORDINATOR
Allie (she/her) supports the Grants Manager in coordinating and monitoring state and federal grant-funded programming and preparing proposals for future funding opportunities.
Before joining SUPHR, Allie served as a grant writer and quality improvement professional for a child welfare agency in Michigan where she secured funding for projects including trauma-informed training for frontline staff, art therapy for youth in foster care, in-home therapy to support family preservation, and the formation of a coalition for child welfare professionals to better serve LGBTQ+ youth and families. Allie has also served as a program assistant for initiatives that provide medically tailored meals to older adults and a community group of substance use prevention leaders who address the opioid crisis in southeastern Michigan.
Allie holds a Master of Social Work in social policy and program evaluation from the University of Michigan, A Master of Music in vocal performance from Westminster Choir College, and Bachelors degrees in music and sociology/anthropology from Guilford College. Prior to receiving her MSW, Allie worked as a classical music performer and teacher.
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Andre Mallory
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
Andre Mallory has over 25 years of experience working in the health and human services field. He was previously employed as a Community Connection Coach (CCC) Supervisor with Ken Crest Services. As the CCC Supervisor he provided leadership and supervision to all coaches in the Supported Independent Living Program as well as other administrative responsibilities. His experiences also include working as the Service Coordinator with Philadelphia Health Management Corporation: Choice Neighborhoods Program. The Choice Neighborhoods program supported locally driven strategies to address neighborhoods burdened with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. He also has experiences with supervising Home and Community based waiver programs. Within these programs he managed an independent living skill training program that provided services for individuals with traumatic brain injuries. This also included completing intake assessments, comprehensive service plans, and assisting with crisis intervention.