Center for Mental Health Services
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Center for Mental Health Services
The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) is a Federal agency within the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) whose purpose is to lead efforts in this country to improve prevention methods and mental health treatment services.
CMHS Mission
Established under the 1992 ADAMHA Reorganization Act, Public Law 102-321, the CMHS mission is to lead governmental efforts to treat mental illness by promoting mental health and preventing the development or worsening of mental illness whenever possible. CMHS does this by delivering mental health services, generation and application of knowledge, and establishing national mental health policy.
What CMHS Does
CMHS pursues its mission by helping states to improve and increase the range and quality of treatment, rehabilitation, and support services for individuals with mental illnesses as well as their families and the communities. To respond to the increasing number of American children with emotional, mental and behavioral problems, CMHS encourages a wide range of programs, including systems of care. CMHS also supports case management and outreach programs for homeless individuals with severe mental illness.
Other CMHS Activities
In addition, CMHS promotes consumer involvement in various mental health and related support services with respect to their design, financing and delivery. CMHS collects data, evaluates the agency’s initiatives to see what works and what doesn’t, and disseminates the latest information to the field.
CMHS works closely with other Federal agencies and organizations in the private sector whose policies and programs advance policy development and enhance the delivery of mental health services.
Division Offices of the CMHS
• Prevention, Traumatic Stress and Special Programs
• Service and Systems Improvement
• State and Community Systems Development
• Associate Director for Organization and Financing
• Associate Director for Medical Affairs
• Associate Director for Consumer Affairs
CMHS Issues
In seeking to fulfill its mission, the CMHS is actively involved in numerous issues, which evolve and change according to developments in the field of mental health, needs of the population, and governmental focus. Some of these issues include the following:
• Adults with Severe Mental Illness – According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), each year about 44 million adults experience a mental disorder. Some of these are serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, severe depressive disorders or schizophrenia, which can be as debilitating as stroke, heart disease and/or diabetes.
• Education – Despite progress toward eliminating the stigma attached to mental illness, many myths, misconceptions and stereotypes still surround such illness. This still pervasive stigma prevents many thousands of individuals from seeking treatment for mental illness because they’re afraid they’ll lose their jobs, homes and/or health insurance. Instead, they try to keep their mental health condition secret. The CMHS seeks to educate and inform the general public through SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center, presentations, special communications and events. In addition, nationwide self-help efforts get a boost from CMHS-supported technical assistance centers and consumer advocacy programs.
• Emergency Mental Health and Traumatic Stress Services – CMHS provides direct crisis counseling to individuals involved in providing disaster and emergency relief operations, as well as those who work and live in areas affected by a disaster.
• Data Collection and Reporting – CMHS collects and reports statistical data and information on consumers and mental health services for use by other Federal agencies, legislators, state and local agencies, national mental health organizations, news media outlets, academic leaders and researchers.
• HIV/AIDS Mental Health Care – According to the latest available statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number of Americans with HIV/AIDS in 2006 was 1.1 million, with more than 56,000 new infections that year. The CDC says that three-quarters of those infected are males. CMHS identifies models of effective treatment for individuals with HIV/AIDS and mental health issues. They also train mental health providers to identify and treat individuals with mental illness who may be at increased risk for HIV/AIDS, along with people with anxiety, dementia, depression, emotional trauma, and severe mental disorders associated with HIV/AIDS.
• Jail and Prison Populations – A 2006 U.S. Justice Department study found that 64 percent of local, 56 percent of state, and 45 percent of federal prisoners have serious mental illnesses. As a result of the number of inmates and probationers reporting a mental illness, the CMHS is trying to identify more effective ways of providing mental health services to these individuals.
• Managed Care – In collaboration with the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), CMHS has initiated a major grant program to investigate the impact of managed care on mental health and substance abuse populations in managed behavioral health care.
• Protection and Advocacy – Established by the U.S. Congress, the Protection and Advocacy program protects the rights of people with mental illnesses who currently reside in or have recently been discharged from residential facilities. This program provides education and training for mental health administrators and organizations, mental health consumers and their families, legislators and the Protection and Advocacy staff.
• Services for Children and Adolescents – Figures cited by the CMHS point out that one in 10 American children and adolescents have a mental illness serious enough to cause impairment, but less than 20 percent of them will receive treatment for the condition. Also troubling is the fact that those who do receive care in hospitals and residential treatment facilities may not get appropriate treatment, and they may be better served in facilities that are less restrictive.
• Services for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness – Each year more than 3 million people are homeless in America, including about 1.3 million children, according to the National Law Center of Homelessness and Poverty. An estimate on the SAMHSA site says that 700,000 are homeless on any given night, and that 20 to 25 percent of these individuals are estimated to have a serious mental illness and half of that subgroup also has a drug and/or alcohol problem. CMHS seeks to provide services for this growing population of homeless adults with serious mental illness.
--Suzannekane 20:40, 21 November 2009 (UTC)
