Professional perceptions of availability and quality of mental health services in Wisconsin

Eighty-six county coordinators and psychiatrists from predominantly rural counties reported their perceptions of availability and quality of 21 types of inpatient, outpatient, and transitional living services in Wisconsin for five target populations: adult, children, adolescent, geriatric, and minority. Their ratings and priorities for addressing needs indicated (a) that transitional living services are insufficient and of inadequate quality for all populations; (b) that availability and quality of inpatient and outpatient services are better for adults; (c) that general needs across all populations for additional and higher quality services are for services that address specialized problems, both inpatient and outpatient; (d) that children, adolescent, minority, and geriatric populations have limited access to needed services; (e) that available services for these four groups are most often inadequate; and (f) that the needs of children and adolescents should be given highest priority, particularly their needs for transitional services and inpatient and outpatient services for special problems. Actions and recommendations are discussed for professionals and advocates to increase awareness of needs for quality services for children and adolescents, for expanding public information, and for design of local-county quality programs, including professional education and continuing outreach to important constituencies and advocates.