Mental Health and Mental Health Services
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Federal Government involved in providing mental health services?
Thank you for your interest in the Federal Government's involvement in services for mental health. The Federal Government provides numerous resources for the prevention and treatment of mental health problems.
The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) awards grants to States and localities to promote quality, accessible community-based mental health delivery systems with a range of treatment and support services. CMHS also makes Community Mental Health Services Block Grants available to States, the District of Columbia, and the territories to provide comprehensive community mental health services to adults with serious mental illnesses and children with serious emotional disturbances. Additional information about CMHS grants can be found at http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/funding
CMHS funds protection and advocacy (P&A) agencies that provide administrative, legal, and other recourses for reports of abuse and neglect, and that protect and advocate the rights of individuals receiving mental health services. Each State has a protection and advocacy agency. Please see our State Resource Guides for more information.
On February 1, 2001, President Bush announced the New Freedom Initiative, part of a nationwide effort to remove barriers to community living for people with disabilities. It represents an important step to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work, choose where they live, and participate in community life. Goals for people with disabilities include: increasing access to assistive and universally designed technologies; expanding education, transportation and home ownership opportunities; and promoting full access to community life. Please see the Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives for additional information.
In April 2002, President Bush also established the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. The Commission is to conduct a comprehensive study of the United States mental health service delivery system, including both the private and public sector providers, and advise the President on methods for improving the system. To learn more about the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, please visit the web site: www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.
Additional information about Government services and programs is available on the following web sites: (1)www.samhsa.gov, (2)www.dhhs.gov, (3)www.surgeongeneral.gov.
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How is the Government involved in suicide prevention efforts?
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) considers suicide a significant public health problem and is involved in prevention activities. You may be interested in knowing about an innovative public/private collaboration, the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, which directs necessary prevention services and programs. Federal collaborators include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Office of the Surgeon General, and the SAMHSA (all components of HHS). The private collaboration includes advocates, clinicians, researchers and suicide survivors. Information on this initiative is available on our web site at http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/suicideprevention.
The following organizations may be able to provide you with additional information:
American Association of Suicidology
4201 Connecticut Avenue, NW - Suite 408
Washington, D.C. 20008
(202) 237-2280
www.suicidology.org
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
120 Wall Street, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10005
(888) 333-2377
www.afsp.org
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How can I find and access mental health treatments and services?
Decisions regarding the admission, treatment, and care of people with emotional problems are made at the local and State levels, so the types of available services, and how those services are funded, vary by State. Your State Mental Health Agency will be helpful in telling you what services are available in your State. You may also want to contact local chapters of self-help organizations to learn about other services available in your specific community.
Your doctor or someone at your local mental health center can refer you to a licensed therapist who is registered and affiliated with his/her same professional association. To obtain a referral, you can also contact one of these organizations:
American Psychiatric Association
1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1825
Arlington, VA 22209-3901
(888) 357-7924
www.psych.org
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 336-5980
www.apa.org
National Association of Social Workers
750 First Street, NE, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 408-8600
www.naswdc.org
This Mental Health Services Locator may also be of help:
mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/default.asp
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Where can I find information about mental health disorders?
The National Mental Health Information Center provides free publications on
mental health topics. You can order publications by calling the Information Center at (800) 789-2647, sending an email with your mailing address to nmhic-info@samhsa.hhs.gov, or placing an online order at http://nmhicstore.samhsa.gov/publications/ordering.aspx.
The following organizations may be able to provide you with additional information:
National Institute of Mental Health, Public Information Branch
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
(301) 443-4513
Email: nimhinfo@nih.gov
www.nimh.nih.gov
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
Colonial Place Three - 2107 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22201
(800) 950-6264
www.nami.org
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 336-5980
www.apa.org
American Psychiatric Association
1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1825
Arlington, VA 22209-3901
(888) 357-7924
www.psych.org
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How can I get treatment for a family member who has a mental illness, but is refusing treatment?
People generally have the right to consent to, or refuse, treatment. However, under certain conditions - such as when a person is considered a danger to self or others - he or she may be required to seek or receive treatment. This can include involuntary civil commitment, which can be for either outpatient or inpatient treatment, as well as forced medication. Laws about commitment vary by State. If you have questions about the commitment process in your State, contact your State Protection and Advocacy program or consumer or family organization. This Mental Health Services Locator may also be of help: mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/default.asp.
If I am unhappy with the treatment received, how do I file a complaint?
Each State, as well as the District of Columbia and the five Territories, has a Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program. PAIMI programs safeguard the rights of people with mental illness. The programs also investigate reports of abuse or neglect in facilities providing mental health care or treatment. Where problems are found, PAIMI programs pursue legal, administrative, and other remedies to ensure protection of rights for people with severe mental illness. People with disabilities who are not eligible for PAIMI services may be eligible for other programs within the Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system, such as the Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR) program or the Client Assistance Program (CAP).
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What can I do if I feel my employer, or a potential employer, has discriminated against me because of my disability?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a legal tool to fight discrimination. Any person who believes that he or she has experienced employment discrimination based on a psychiatric disability has a right to file an administrative "charge" or "complaint" with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or a State or local anti-discrimination agency. Such individuals also may file a lawsuit in court, but only after filing an administrative charge. You may also find it useful to contact:
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
1801 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20507
(202) 663-4900
www.eeoc.gov
U.S. Department of Justice
Disability Rights Section Mailing Address
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section - NYAVE
Washington, D.C. 20530
ADA Information Line: 800-514-0301; (TDD) 800-514-0383
www.usdoj.gov
How much does the government spend on mental health each year?
A complete listing of the Budget for Fiscal Year 2003 can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2003/budget.html
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Where can I find mental health statistics?
The National Mental Health Information Center does not have specific statistics, although our web site does provide access to Mental Health, United States, 2000 (CMHS publication number SMA01-3537, available free of charge from the Information Center). This publication provides mental health statistics about service utilization, financing, treatments, individuals with mental illness, and mental health practitioners. The Mental Health Statistics Improvement Program (MHSIP), supported by CMHS, may also be of assistance to you in this matter. MHSIP provides research and statistical information regarding mental health services. They can be contacted via e-mail at webmaster@mhsip.org. Their web site is www.mhsip.org In addition, you may find it useful to contact:
Disability Statistics Center at University of California-San Francisco
3333 California Street, Suite 340
Campus Mail Box 0646
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 502-5210
Fax: (415) 502-5208
E-mail: distats@itsa.ucsf.edu
National Center for Health Statistics
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
3311 Toledo Road
Hyattsville, MD 20782
(301)-458-4636
www.cdc.gov/nchs
Other frequently asked questions and answers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Frequently asked questions and answers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
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Rev. 02/2003
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