That the North Carolina Medical Society supports consideration of the following principles in mental health reform efforts:

1. Focus on the desired outcomes of mental health care, which are to attain each individual’s maximum level of employment, self-care, interpersonal relationships, and community participation.
2. Focus on community-level models of care that effectively coordinate the multiple health and human service providers and public and private payers involved in mental health treatment and delivery of services.
3. Focus on those policies that maximize the utility of existing resources by increasing cost-effectiveness and reducing the unnecessary and burdensome regulatory barriers.
4. Consider how mental health research findings can be used most effectively to influence the delivery of services.
5. Follow the principles of Federalism, and ensure that recommendations promote innovation, flexibility, and accountability at all levels of government and respect the constitutional role of the States and Indian tribes.