Serving the underserved: Our societal responsibility.

Discusses pending Congressional actions regarding a federal role in health care and the responsibility of mental health care professionals in shaping policy aimed at ensuring the maintenance of mental health care service provision. The challenge of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is to convince policymakers that existing and newly designed programs are meaningful and are accountable for significant results in terms of improved services, greater efficiency, and successful measurable outcomes. The programs of 3 SAMHSA centers, the Center for Mental Health Services, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, focussing on these issues are delineated. Issues in the advancement of Telehealth-Telemedicine and mental health care components of treatment for the elderly in long-term care facilities are also described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)