ABSTRACT
At no time in our lives has consumer health care advocacy been more urgently needed, yet the general public remains remarkably disengaged in the generational shift that is now occurring in the structure of our health care system. This is not to say that consumer advocacy organizations have not played a central role in the legislative and regulatory arenas to protect the rights and interests of the general public. However, as reform plays out in states across the country, planning and implementation meetings are dominated by the businesses of health care rather than the end users of the system, despite the fact that the new architecture of the U.S. health system
discrete policy areas. During the same time period, child and adolescent issues received similar attention through formal and ad hoc coalition efforts. With a membership and volunteer base of consumers, family members, advocates, and providers, MHAMD has been uniquely positioned to broker consensus among the various mental health interests. Key to the collective success of these various networks has been a central and unwavering focus on the needs of individuals served by the public and private mental health systems.
