The way forward: Federal action for a system that works for all people living with SMI and SED and their families and caregivers – Full report

This federal Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) report to Congress reports on the current status of federal activities, summarizes advances in the care and treatment of people with serious mental illness (SMI) and serious emotional disturbance (SED) and makes specific recommendations for actions that federal departments can take to better coordinate the administration of mental health services for adults with SMI or children with SED. ISMICC representatives include federal agencies, members of the private sector, experts on health care research, mental health providers, advocates and people with mental health conditions, their families and caregivers. Suicide can be a consequence of poor diagnosis, lack of access to appropriate services, supports and treatment, no or poor care coordination and inappropriate interventions. The report is based on presentations given by ISMICC members at the first ISMICC meeting in August, 2017.