During the past two decades public mental health service systems have experienced revolutionary change. Research and the development of new technologies together with new approaches to treatment have altered both the services that are now available and the methods and settings of their delivery. However, mental health service systems remain extremely labor intensive, and the quality of services remains inextricably linked to the quality of the workforce. This report by the National Task Force on Human Develop. addresses the problem of change -- and the workforce implications of changes in mental health treatment, financing, and administration.

Across the globe, evaluating the initiatives and planning strategies of the modern workforce has become increasingly imperative. By developing professional competencies, various sectors can achieve better quality skill development. Workforce Development Theory and Practice in the Mental Health Sector is an essential reference source on the understanding of workforce capacity and capability and examines specific benefits and applications in addiction and mental health services. Featuring extensive coverage on a range of topics including public service provision, staff motivation, and clinical competency, this book is ideally designed for policy makers, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on the challenges facing countries in the areas of planning and development in the workforce.

Each year, more than 33 million Americans receive health care for mental or substance-use conditions, or both. Together, mental and substance-use illnesses are the leading cause of death and disability for women, the highest for men ages 15-44, and the second highest for all men. Effective treatments exist, but services are frequently fragmented and, as with general health care, there are barriers that prevent many from receiving these treatments as designed or at all. The consequences of this are seriousâ€"for these individuals and their families; their employers and the workforce; for the nation's economy; as well as the education, welfare, and justice systems. Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mental and Substance-Use Conditions examines the distinctive characteristics of health care for mental and substance-use conditions, including payment, benefit coverage, and regulatory issues, as well as health care organization and delivery issues. This new volume in the Quality Chasm series puts forth an agenda for improving the quality of this care based on this analysis. Patients and their families, primary health care providers, specialty mental health and substance-use treatment providers, health care organizations, health plans, purchasers of group health care, and all involved in health care for mental and substanceâ€"use conditions will benefit from this guide to achieving better care.

This volume is part of a series of publications which contain practical guidance to assist policy-makers and planners in member countries with policy development to address public mental health needs and service provision. It focuses on human resource management and training, issues which are particularly important as its workforce is the most valuable asset of an effective mental health service and often accounts for the largest portion of the annual budget.

"The aim of the strategy is to develop and support a well-led, high performing and sustainable mental health workforce delivering quality, recovery-focused mental health services. The focus of this strategy and plan is the workforce, whose primary role involves early intervention, referral, treatment, care or support to people with a mental illness, in a mental health service or other health service environment, including non-government community mental health services."--page 1.