The Palgrave Handbook Of American Mental Health Policy

This handbook is the definitive resource for understanding current  mental health policy controversies, options, and implementation  strategies. It offers a thorough review of major issues in mental health  policy to inform the policy-making process, presenting the pros and  cons of controversial, significant issues through close analyses of  data. Some of the topics covered are the effectiveness of various  biomedical and psychosocial interventions, the role of mental illness in  violence, and the effectiveness of coercive strategies. The handbook  presents cases for conditions in which specialized mental health  services are needed and those in which it might be better to deliver  mental health treatment in mainstream health and social services  settings. It also examines the balance between federal, state, and local  authority, and the financing models for delivery of efficient and  effective mental health services. It is aimed for an audience of  policy-makers, researchers, and informed citizens that can contribute to  future policy deliberations.