NCJ Number
243604
Date Published
2011
Length
117 pages
Annotation
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services presents eight Strategic Initiatives that will guide its work through the year 2014.
Abstract
One initiative will prevent substance abuse and mental illness by developing communities in which individuals, families, schools, faith-based organizations, and workplaces promote emotional health and reduce the likelihood of mental illness and substance abuse. The second initiative targets the reduction of violence and associated trauma by integrating trauma-informed approaches throughout health, behavioral health, and related systems. The third initiative focuses on ensuring that America's military service personnel, along with their families and communities, receive needed behavioral health services that produce positive outcomes. The fourth initiative will partner with people recovering from mental and substance-use disorders and their families in sustaining the healing process through services that increase permanent housing, employment, education, and other necessary supports. This will include addressing discriminatory barriers. A fifth initiative will increase access to appropriate prevention, treatment, and recovery services by reducing disparities between the availability of services for mental and substance-use disorders and access to services for other medical conditions. This will involve support for integrated, coordinated care for those with behavioral health issues and co-occurring health conditions such as HIV/AIDS. A sixth initiative will provide a national framework and integrated strategy for improving the cost-effectiveness of behavioral health care through health information technology and interoperable electronic health records. A seventh initiative will promote systematic evaluations of the quality and delivery of health care so as to improve outcomes. An eighth initiative will increase public awareness and support for preventing and treating mental and substance-use disorders. Objectives and action steps for each initiative are outlined. 35 notes