The need for mental health services coordination is discussed in this report. It is noted that, without coordination, government units and service providers can operate independently and in competition with one another. The move to deinstitutionalization is discussed, including the lack of service coordination resulting from this move and the…

The mental health policies of the past 20 years and the evidence of unserved populations suffering from serious mental illness constitute a public health crisis. Currently there are at least 3,000,000 people in the United States suffering from mental disorders. A fully developed continuum of care is needed to respond effectively to the diverse…

Historically, the financial responsibility for caring for those with mental illness has shifted back and forth from the local community, to the state, to the federal government. Today states provide the vast majority of the funds to the state mental health agencies and oversee local governments and most private resources for mental health funding.…