Remarks by
A. Kathryn Power, M.Ed.
Director
Center for Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Federal Mental Health Action Agenda Rollout
Transforming Mental Health Care in America: First Steps
Washington, DC
July 22, 2005
Attached is the text prepared for delivery; however, some material may have been added or omitted at the time of delivery.
We are here to celebrate transformation. We are here to celebrate our opportunity and our commitment to profoundly improve the lives and futures of millions of Americans with or at risk of developing mental disorders. This document—our Federal Mental Health Action Agenda—outlines the first important steps we will take on the road to transformation. It is tangible evidence of how we will move from a vision of transformed mental health care to its reality.
Transformation of our mental health system is a powerful concept. It implies profound changes in organizational policies, practices, and funding. It requires equally momentous shifts in our own attitudes, beliefs, and values about mental health. We will not accomplish transformation by tinkering with the margins of mental health care but, instead, by making fundamental changes at its core. Through transformation, we will be able to achieve new standards in mental health care that we never were able to achieve before. We will, in effect, be changing the very form and function of our Nation’s mental health care delivery system.
Transformation already is underway across this country! Federal, State, and local governments and thousands of organizations in the private sector have joined together to achieve the promise of a mental health system focused on recovery.
The States, as the centers of gravity for transformation, are embracing the goals of the President’s New Freedom Commission report. State mental health agencies are working to reduce the fragmentation of services across systems and to develop recovery-oriented services. They are looking to prevention and early intervention to help reduce the incidence and burden of mental illnesses for their citizens. They are investing heavily in technology to enhance the quality of their services and their accountability for achieving measurable and positive results. These actions signify the breadth and depth of change that transformation entails.
While the States serve as the focus for transformation, the Federal Government has seized the opportunity to model the collaboration, cooperation, and coordination that is essential to progress. We face enormously complex challenges in aligning programs and policies and in sequencing necessary changes in the way we do business. Our Federal Partners Workgroup, however, is fully committed to meeting the challenges that lie ahead.
I’d like to acknowledge a few of the agencies and individuals helping to drive transformation forward—
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, is a vital partner. Peggy Clark and Gale Arden are to be commended for promoting transformative CMS programs such as Real Choice Systems Change and Independence Plus. Real Choice encourages State efforts to explore new ways of funding and delivering effective, community-based care. Independence Plus gives consumers greater choice, control, and responsibility in determining their own cost-effective care.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also is a leader in transformation. Last year, the VA served 5 million veterans, 28 percent of whom had a mental disorder. Deputy Undersecretary Frances Murphy (and Dr. Lawrence Lehmann?) has demonstrated outstanding leadership in aligning VA efforts with the goals of transformation. To cite just a few examples, the VA is collaborating with the Department of Defense to aid in the mental health recovery and rehabilitation of troops returning from Iraq. It is rolling out evidence-based practices across the VA system, such as the collaborative care model for depression. In addition, the VA has launched a tele-mental health initiative to improve access and services for veterans who are experiencing homelessness.
I’d also like to acknowledge Department of Labor (DOL) initiatives. For many individuals with a serious mental illness, a job is essential to their recovery and to living a full, independent, and productive life in their communities. DOL has established an intra-agency workgroup, led by Director Susan Parker of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, to promote employment among those with mental disorders. Among DOL initiatives are these two diverse examples of consumer-driven services: integrating ex-offenders with mental disorders into the workforce and helping young adults with serious emotional disturbances make a successful transition from education to employment.
Transformation of our mental health system requires vision, leadership, action, and accountability. The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health gave us the vision of a transformed mental health system. Secretary Michael Leavitt and Administrator Charles Curie have provided leadership and support in fostering this incredible government-wide effort. The document that we present to you today is our pledge to take action. Congress, the Nation, and the people we serve can hold us accountable for achieving the goals we have set.
Transformation is a long-term process, but our first action agenda can and will propel significant changes in mental health care. Each step requires the full commitment of the agencies and individuals involved, for we must transform people before we can transform systems. As we move forward, we will work side by side with State and local governments, with public and private organizations, and with the people we serve. This broad-based involvement highlights a crucial element of transformation: We all are responsible. We all are accountable. I urge you to read this document and determine how you, too, can be involved. Thank you.
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