Transforming Indiana’s Behavioral Health System for Children and Their Families

Abstract

State (Boggs, 2005) and federal (New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003; SAMSHA, 2005) policy calls for the transformation of mental health care to achieve the promise of recovery so that individuals are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their community. Access to effective treatments and support services are necessary to realize this promise (NFCMH, 2003). Transformation is by definition more than reform; it “represents the bold vision to change the very form and function of the mental health service delivery system to better meet the needs of individuals and families it was designed to serve .... it will be a complex process that proceeds in a non-linear fashion and that requires collaboration, innovation, sustained commitment, and a willingness to learn from mistakes” (SAMHSA, section 5, 2005). Why is transformation needed? What does transformation mean for the behavioral health system for children, youth and their families in Indiana?