A survey of fourteen southern states was conducted to determine what staff training programs were being carried out in mental health agencies in that region. On-site surveys of the existing administrative and programmatic arrangements for staff development were made and comments of both program directors and training officers were gathered concerning the way they felt staff development should be managed. Analysis of the program surveys showed that nearly all programs had been conducted by and for single professional disciplines, including very little multi- or interdisciplinary training in any of the states. Discussion of training concerns with state commissioners revealed that programs have been primarily sensitive to the needs and values of the individual disciplines rather than to the objectives and goals of mental health or mental retardation programs. Several commissioners also expressed the need to give state level attention to career patterns for staff persons in their departments. This report of the survey and resulting recommendations is presented in four major areas: background and present patterns of coordinating training or staff development (includes descriptions of the types of training programs, patterns of training coordination, alternative objectives, and alternative managerial philosophies of state mental health agencies), functions of a staff development office, use of staff development as a management tool, and the office of staff development (includes organizational position, relationships with the larger agency and other agencies, and staffing). (SH)