Foreword

It is with great pleasure that we bring you this edition of Mental Health, United States, 2000. Our nation has made great strides in recent years in understanding the working of the brain in health and in illness. We also are making great strides in understanding more about the delivery of mental health services, improving efficiency and quality in services, and also about how we can build strengths and resilience in the face of life's stresses.

Our efforts, however, are far from complete. Many individuals find the services they need to be inaccessible, through distance, cost, or coverage limitations. Others are able to access services, but the services may not be fully evidence based, of the highest quality, and respectful of culture, race and ethnicity of the recipient.

This volume adds to the knowledge base so that the important task of system change and expansion of service availability can proceed. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, of which the Center for Mental Health Services is a part, works to accomplish these goals in partnership with many other organizations and groups. We do so through a variety of grants and contracts, but very importantly, through a knowledge exchange process through which we learn of the challenges in the field and respond with useful information. Mental Health, United States, 2000 is a continuing series addressing these information needs. We hope you will find many uses for the information provided.

Joseph H. Autry, III, M. D. Acting Administrator
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Bernard S. Arons, M. D. Director
Center for Mental Health Services

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