It is important to emphasize that the purposes of the coalition are as broad as the field of behavioral health itself, and that no constituency should react to the two initial targets as if they define the concrete scope of the coalition. Our goal is to have these two products ready by next summer in the prototype PGC form. The operational framework defines this form in general terms. At this point in time it is hard to be more specific about the products that will result from this process, which is precisely why the participants felt that demonstration projects were needed even before PGC ever meets as an entity. Having completed the first three development steps envisioned for this year, we turn now to the last step, which is the most crucial.
Any collaborative effort raises fears and entails risk.
But many of the strongest fears are associated not with the coalition per se, but with practice guidelines more generally. Given the changing world of healthcare delivery, it seems clear that practice guidelines are coming whether PGC exists or not. We believe that if we put the consumer first and use our collective knowledge in collaborative fashion, we can make a positive impact on the quality of behavioral healthcare and do so in a way that minimizes the pain and risk to the constituencies involved. Over the next several months, the demonstration projects will show whether in fact this hope is realized. Your participation in these two projects in the form of people, evidence, and funding is crucial to their success.