National Mental Health Care System Gets a "D"

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) released a new report, Grading the States, that assesses the nation's public mental health care system for adults and finding that the national average grade is a D. Looks like we need to go back to school. Since the last report card three years ago, 14 states improved their grades and 12 states fell backwards. Oklahoma showed the greatest improvement in the nation, rising from a D to a B. South Carolina fell the farthest, from a B to a D. "Mental health care in America is in crisis," said NAMI executive director Michael J. Fitzpatrick. "Even states that have worked hard to build life-saving, recovery-oriented systems of care stand to see their progress wiped out." takepart and learn more about Grading the States 2009 and takepart with the social action campaign for the Soloist