Competition for mental health funding among advocates for treatment, prevention, and research often produces more tension than productivity. Competition is fueled by dependency on varied streams of funding and lack of coherent connections and coordination among the host of public and private agents involved in addressing child and adolescent mental health. By not adequately financing intervention to address the mental and psychosocial concerns related to the zero through 18 population, policymakers do more than ignore the well being of the nation's youth. From the standpoint of children and adolescents, one of the most significant policy trends over the last decade involves tying significant portions of public financing to schools in order to address youth's mental health. Efforts to develop a comprehensive, multifaceted, and integrated approach will have to purse many avenues. Suggestions for ways to enhance mental health program funding for young people and for improving programs include: (1) reforms that enable redeployment of existing funds away from redundant or ineffective programs; (2) reforms that allow flexible use of categorical funds; (3) new initiatives stemming from tobacco settlement revenues; and (4) develop mechanisms to enhance resources through use of personnel in training, work study, and service programs. (Contains 13 Web sites and 17 references.) (JDM)