Grading the States: A Report on America's Health Care System for Serious Mental Illnesses

This is the first comprehensive, state-by-state analysis of mental health care systems in 15 years. The United States overall was ranked at "D," barely passing. The grade represents a compilation of 39 criteria based on information gained through surveys of state mental health agencies between October and December 2005. 

While the United States overall ranked a D, state grades varied between B, C, D, and F. 

• B was earned by: Connecticut, Maine, Ohio, South Carolina, and Wisconsin
  
  
• C was earned by: California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and Vermont
  
  
• D was earned by: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming
  
  
• F was earned by Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. 
  
  

New York and Colorado did not provide information and were not ranked. Colorado officials said they did not have the requested data, and were experiencing staffing difficulties which would have made survey cooperation difficult. New York officials provided no reason for non-cooperation. NAMI encourages legislators in these states to seek answers to the survey questions. 

NAMI reports that high scoring states each had developed a vision of how to deliver recovery-oriented services, based on proven, cost-effective practices, that was backed by political willingness to move treatment systems toward the vision. 

Chief recommendations of the report:

•  Invest in proven, cost-effective practices
  
  
• Increase funding but link it to performance and recovery
  
  
• Improve data collection
  
  
• Increase access to information
  
  
• Involve consumers and their families at every level of treatment
  
  
• Eliminate discrimination