Commission urges overhaul for mental health system

Physicians applaud the presidential panel's report but say parity legislation, public health funding and more psychiatrists still are needed.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Aug. 18, 2003.

Washington -- The nation must transform its mental health system from one that manages the symptoms of individuals with mental illness to one that promotes their recovery, according to a new report by the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.

The current system is in a shambles -- hindered in delivering proper care to patients by its fragmented nature, gaps in care and uneven quality, says the report, "Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America." Fixing it will require major changes that go well beyond simple repairs.

The commission, which consulted thousands of recipients of mental health services, their families, physicians and other health care professionals, set several goals and made recommendations intended to move the system toward full community participation for children, youth and adults.

The report stresses that it doesn't necessarily require new funding to bring about needed changes but better use of the limited resources already available.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson welcomed the report and said HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will review its goals.

"Our challenge is to build a mental health care system that is both consumer- and family-driven and focused on recovery and resilience," he said. "We will be looking in particular at the programs cited by the commission as models of mental health care transformation."