ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses systems level issues that community mental health professionals need to understand in order to evaluate the pros and cons of various managed care models and to develop effective strategies for designing optimal PSMC systems. While there is probably no “best” system in the real world, different models have different consequences for patients/consumers, mental health professionals, third-party payers such as Medicaid, and managed care companies. Trade-offs are involved in selecting any particular approach.
