Mental Health Services Overview

(Dollars in thousands)

a/ Includes PHS Evaluation funds - Block Grant $21.85 million in FY 2004 and $21.8 million in FY 2005

SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), established by the 1992 ADAMHA Reorganization Act, leads Federal efforts in caring for the Nation's mental health by promoting effective mental health services. CMHS provides Federal fiscal and policy support for mental health services administered by States, local governments, and service providers at the community level. CMHS supports services that are evidence-based, community focused, and promote recovery. These services represent the culmination of decades of work to create an effective community-based mental health service infrastructure throughout the Nation. CMHS disseminates new knowledge about the effectiveness of treatment, and supports States and local communities to adopt evidence-based interventions.

Approximately 54 million Americans have a mental illness. The people affected by the work of CMHS include adults with serious mental illnesses, children with serious emotional disturbances, adults and children at risk for developing these illnesses, and the families, employers, and communities of affected individuals.

In July 2003, the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health released its final report, which highlights ways to ensure the promise of community living for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. President Bush directed the Commission to study the problems and gaps in the mental health system and make concrete recommendations for immediate improvements. The Commission outlined six goals to transform the mental health system:

1. Americans understand that mental health is essential to overall health;
2. Mental health care is consumer and family driven;
3. Disparities in mental health services are eliminated;
4. Early mental health screening, assessment and referral to services are common practice;
5. Excellent mental health care is delivered and research is accelerated;
6. Technology is used to access mental health care and information.

The Commission's Report calls for a fundamental overhaul of how mental health care is delivered in America - a change more dramatic than any other likely to be seen in our lifetime. It states decisively that we must integrate programs that are fragmented across many levels of government and among many agencies to truly serve America's families and children. It is a clarion call from the President to officials at the highest levels of the Federal government to work together with the States to make comprehensive, coordinated, community-based, clinically appropriate and culturally competent care for adults with serious mental illnesses and children with serious emotional disturbances an undisputed reality. SAMHSA has the lead role for HHS in developing an action agenda to incorporate the Report's recommendations into HHS and other Departments' programs.

In FY 2005, SAMHSA proposes $912.502 million for mental health programs, an increase of $50 million over the final conference level.

CMHS' discretionary programs include Programs of Regional and National Significance (PRNS), proposed for an increase of $30 million; and the Children's Mental Health Services Program, proposed for an increase of $4 million. CMHS also administers three formula grant programs: the Protection and Advocacy Program, proposed for level funding; the PATH homelessness program, proposed for an increase of $5 million; and the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant program, proposed for an increase of $1 million. $10 million is proposed for the HHS contribution to an interdepartmental Homelessness initiative, the Samaritan Initiative.

Programs of Regional and National Significance are a vital link between clinical and services research and the implementation of effective prevention, treatment and/or rehabilitation services. This group of diverse program activities helps to identify effective and efficient recovery-based service models and to provide assistance in applying them in the community. The $30 million increase requested for PRNS will provide the majority of the funding for State Incentive Grants for Transformation to implement the Commission's findings. Funds will support development of a comprehensive State mental health plan and improve the mental health services infrastructure.