Information Center Bulletin
Volume 3, No. 1 Spring 1999

Message from the Director

Responding to Needs in Meaningful Ways

Welcome. This issue of the Information Center Bulletin, published by the National Mental Health Information Center, highlights the work of the Center for Mental Health Services, Community Support Program. The Community Support Program, or CSP, has been at the vanguard of making the mental health services delivery system responsive to the real needs of people receiving mental health care and of including these people in meaningful ways.

New Web Site Design

The Information Center has unveiled a new web site design to make the site more user-friendly and visually appealing. The new design is easy to navigate and provides quick access to state resource guides for mental health services, mental health fact sheets and publications to download or order, links to mental health resources on the Internet, grant funding opportunities, and a searchable calendar of mental health conferences and events.

New and improved sections include: a Newsroom of the latest mental health articles updated each business day, a Kids Area, a section featuring Spanish-language publications and links, and searchable databases. A scrolling banner announces the latest publications, events, and news from CMHS. The entire Web site is searchable by keyword with a ranking system for results. Anyone interested in mental health information can log onto the Information Center site at mentalhealth.samhsa.gov.

Report from the Surgeon General

CMHS has been appointed to take the lead in developing the first Surgeon General's report to focus exclusively on mental health. CMHS will work on the report, scheduled to be released in the fall of 1999, in partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health. A rough outline, focusing on mental health issues across the life cycle, has already been prepared. The high-profile nature of the Surgeon General's reports presents CMHS with an excellent opportunity to put mental health on the public health agenda. The Information Center will be playing a pivotal role in providing information about the report to the public. CMHS invites you to view the report as it is developed by visiting the Web site and clicking on Surgeon General's Report.

Growth Continues

The Information Center continues to grow. Nearly 20,000 people per day access mental health information on the Web site. Monthly figures are also on the rise. During one recent month, nearly 50,000 individuals contacted the Information Center via various channels including the Web site, toll-free telephone number, e-mail, and fax. This March the Information Center distributed more than 32,000 publications.

CMHS is pleased to be able to respond to America's needs for mental health information through the Information Center, but we will continue to improve only with your feedback. As always, I hope you will take the time to let us know what you think and suggest ways for us to better serve your needs.

Information Center Bulletin
Volume 3, No. 1, Spring 1999
KEN99-0068