SAMHSA's Listening

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has created a new Web site for posting and exchanging ideas about the issues and opportunities surrounding the future shape of America's health system—especially on how reform may affect mental health, substance abuse prevention, and treatment services.

The Web site provides background information to policymakers and opinion leaders on this important aspect of health care reform to enhance prevention, treatment, and recovery services to people in need.

Last December SAMHSA began a series of meetings involving consumers, health care providers, advocates, health service providers and administrators, and SAMHSA staff to generate ideas about advancing health through system reform and preparing SAMHSA for its role in a reformed system. The ideas developed through these discussions are posted on the Web site, along with background information on the key role mental-health and substance-abuse-related issues play in the overall health care system.

Guidance on how to submit comments and ideas to the agency is posted at<www.samhsa.gov/healthreform>.▪