Title: Controversies in Managed Mental Health Care
Description: Is another book about managed care really necessary? The answer to this question, like the answers to the 27 questions that form the centerpiece of this book, seems relatively straightforward. It elicits a simple "yes" or "no" and then gives pause to some doubt and consideration. The answer becomes unexpectedly elusive as it invites comment and closer inspection of the question at hand.

This book is a "second generation" book on managed mental health care. It probes areas of uncertainty and tension in the managed care world. The editor selected topics that could be debated yet could also be addressed with authority. The spirited discussion that ensues captures conflict inherent in the managed care movement. The contributors are noted authorities who were proposed questions and who then answered them based on their experience, beliefs, and grasp of the literature.

Each chapter is framed as a question and addresses a controversial area in managed mental health care. By virtue of the nature of the question, the content examined, and the expertise of the authors, the book reads as authoritative without sounding pretentious. By reading this book, mental health professionals will have a greater understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of managed care and a more realistic interpretation of managed care systems of the future.
Subjects: Managed mental health care, Medical care, united states, Mental Health, Mental Health Services, Managed Care Programs