Mary Graham (panel chair) is Vice President of Healthcare Reform for the National Mental Health Association, where she directs training and other policy activities related to private and public sector managed care. Prior to joining NMHA, she was Director of Economic Affairs for the American Psychiatric Association; Director of Clinical Affairs for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; and Manager of Proposal Development for Value Behavioral Health. She also has served as a consultant in hospital strategic development.

Daniel Abrahamson, Ph.D. is the administrative director of the Traumatic Stress Institute, Center for Adult and Adolescent Psychotherapy. He has participated on the American Psychological Association's Task Force on Psychological Intervention Guidelines and is currently Chair of their Work Group on Treatment Guidelines. Dr. Abrahamson is also Director of Professional Affairs for the Connecticut Psychological Association.

John Allen, Jr. is the Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs for the Maryland Mental Hygiene Administration. He serves on a wide variety of national and local boards, is a noted speaker and author on managed care, quality improvement, disability rights, entitlements, homelessness, disability employment and recovery.

Alan Axelson, M.D. is founder and President of InterCare, a system of comprehensive behavioral services in western Pennsylvania. He is a member of both the American Psychiatric Association's Managed Care Committee and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's Work Group on Managed Care. In these capacities, he has participated extensively in the development of level-of-care criteria for these two psychiatric organizations. He is also a well renowned writer and public speaker on various managed care related topics.

Patricia Scheifler, MSW, PIP is self-employed as the Director of Partnership for Recovery. She has 20 years of direct practice and administrative experience across the continuum of psychiatric treatment programs. In addition, Ms. Scheifler provides consultation, staff training and workshops on a variety of issues related to clinical practice and managed care, and she was selected by the National Association of Social Workers as their representative to this project.

Lloyd Sederer, M.D. is the Medical Director at McLean Hospital, a non-profit academic medical center and teaching and research hospital of the Harvard Medical School. He is a member of the American Psychiatric Association's Council on Economic Affairs and participated actively in the development of this organization's level-of-care criteria. He has also published and lectured extensively on many clinical and economic issues related to the provision of psychiatric services.

Key findings

"Report card" on information sharing

Methodology

Development process

Comprehensiveness

Corporate philosophy

Access issues

Compliance

Child and family issues

Substance abuse and co-occurring disorders

Cultural competence

Provider autonomy

Coordination/ consultation among providers

Denial notification and appeal processes

More observations, recommendations and areas for further study