The National Health Planning Act: significance for mental health agencies.

In examining the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act, the authors identify nine areas that have special meaning for those responsible for planning, administration, and delivery of mental health services. Believing that mental health planning can be done more effectively by mental health agencies, they recommend a series of steps that can be taken by mental health administrators to maintain responsibility for planning their programs while ensuring close coordination with general health planning activities. It is their conviction that mental health authorities should commit themselves to the planning process and put their commitment to work by recruiting knowledgeable and skilled planning staffs.