Community Support System
To address the growing care concerns for people with serious mental illness, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) focused on defining the needs of this population. NIMH developed a vision for a service system that would enable people with serious mental illness to live as independently as possible in the community.
The Community Support System, a conceptualization of ten services that are necessary to provide a community-based system, was developed. Case management became one of the ten essential services. Other services included: out-patient therapy, vocational services, psychosocial rehabilitation, housing, crisis intervention and psychiatric services.
This effort, along with the addition of Medicaid funding, improved medications and demonstrated best practices. In Minnesota, Medicaid is known as Medical Assistance or MA.
Additionally, the continued efforts of advocates resulted in a dramatic increase in supports and services for adults with serious mental illness.