title: State mental health policy: critical priorities confronting state mental health agencies.
abstract: The authors of this column report on an environmental scan conducted via intensive interviews of the 55 state and territorial state mental health agency (SMHA) directors who collectively oversee a $28 billion budget and serve nearly six million Americans who have a serious mental illness. Currently, a dynamic set of forces are substantively reshaping the role, resources, and capacities of the SMHA within the larger fabric of state government. As such, SMHA directors developed year 2007 priorities. These priorities include integrating health and mental health care, enhancing consumer empowerment, addressing mental health workforce crises (for example, training and recruitment), and ensuring financial stewardship.
authors.affiliation: National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors REsearch Institute, Inc., Alexandrea, VA 22314, USA. noel.mazade@nri-inc.org
authors.forename: Noel A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Mazade
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Glover
mesh_terms: D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States