PRIORITIZATION OF MENTAL-HEALTH-SERVICES IN OREGON

The Oregon Health Plan is an approach to health care reform that incre ases access to mental health and chemical dependency services. A key f eature is the integration of mental and physical health care. The ment al health community had to educate policy makers about the importance of mental health and chemical dependency services. They constructed a prioritized list of mental health and chemical dependency services and interdigitated the list with the set of physical health services. The result is a unique attempt to develop a seamless health care system t hat minimizes discrimination against persons affected by mental illnes s. The opportunity to achieve parity for mental health must not be del ayed of compromised; to do so would worsen the lives of persons alread y affected by the trauma and stigma associated with mental illness.