Massachusetts Earns High Marks for Mental Health Service System in National Report

Commonwealth one of six states to earn “B;” No states receive “A” grade

BOSTON — Citing expanded mental health parity, the development of consumer-run Recovery Learning Communities and the Commonwealth’s landmark health care reform, the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) in its report “Grading the States 2009: A Report on America’s Health Care System for Adults with Serious Mental Illness” gave Massachusetts a “B” for its mental health care system. According to the report, the national average grade was a “D”. Massachusetts was one of only six states to receive a grade of “B”. No state received an “A”.

“We are very pleased that NAMI recognizes the strides that the Department of Mental Health and Massachusetts has made in its public mental health system,” said Commissioner Barbara A. Leadholm, M.S., M.B.A. “We share NAMI’s goals of having a mental health system that meets the needs of consumers whenever and wherever they need it.”

States were graded on 65 criteria in four categories: health promotion and management; financing and core treatment/recovery services; consumer family empowerment; and community integration and social inclusion.

The Department of Mental Health (DMH) received the highest possible score in the “Consumer and Family Test Drive,” an original research instrument developed by NAMI in 2006 that measures how well people with serious mental illnesses and their family members are able to access essential information about conditions and treatment resources. Other high-scoring areas include: integrating mental health and primary health care; cultural competence; consumer-run programs; promotion of peer-run services; and mental illness public education efforts.

The report acknowledged Massachusetts’ proud history of innovation in mental health services. Among these are an expanded parity law that goes into effect in July, adding alcohol and substance use disorders, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and autism to private health insurance coverage. DMH also continues its national leadership role in developing alternatives to the use of restraint and seclusion in public and private hospitals.

“The 2009 ‘Grading the States’ report comes at challenging economic times. Although Massachusetts received a terrific grade, we are in a precarious position to sustain our forward momentum—all the more reason why we must be constant in our vision of community first and a consumer-driven and family-centered behavioral health system,” said Commissioner Leadholm. “We cannot do this without our partners and stakeholders, including the Legislature, who all deserve to be acknowledged for helping us to best serve adults, children, adolescents and families with serious mental illness.”

To view the complete NAMI’s “Grading the States 2009: A Report on America’s Health Care System for Adults with Serious Mental Illness,” visit www.NAMI.org.

About DMH

The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) is one of the 17 state agencies that comprise the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. DMH provides services to adults, children and adolescents with long-term or serious mental illness and serious emotional disturbance; provides early and ongoing treatment for mental illness; and conducts research into the causes of and treatments for mental illness. Through state operated inpatient facilities and community mental health centers and through community services and programs provided by nearly 200 mental health providers, DMH directly serves 21,000 citizens, including about 3,500 children and adolescents, with severe and persistent mental illness and serious emotional disturbance.

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