Service and companion animals are absolutely critical to the long term well-being of many physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged individuals. Please consider the diversity of service animals, including monkeys, horses, domestic livestock, fowl and tropical birds, and even reptiles...each person who benefits from service or companion animals may benefit from a creature that is not on your list...there MUST be a simple process for considering exceptions!

With use of supplements, accupuncture, massage and a host of mind-body techniques becoming ever more popular, I believe it is time to integrate complimentay medicine into SAMHSA's plans

Instead of funding large intitiaves separately (e.g., MH transformation), SAMHSA needs to put big $$ toward transforming the system as a whole! If this happens, the rest of us will have to follow!

Remedy federal disparity between social workers and other BH disciplines.

when we are talking about outcomes we should be looking at recovery outcomes both in substance and mental health. Many States have gone increasingly medical model and outcome has come to mean a billable unit of clinical status. SAMHSA should lead the way in language and concider that individual's treatment should help the person recover not be stuck in a never ending cycle of services. the system needs to support the people being treated not just the providers providing the services.

Create a funding stream for mental health services that provides funding for everyone to receive what they need.

This will reduce the economic stress that is responsible for or exacerbates much "mental illness", and will reduce stigma by valuing and including everyone. As we are all God's/Nature's children, we all have a natural right to a fair share of the wealth that Nature and previous generations have produced.

The facts about the mass of misinformation that is passed off as truth in the mental health business is ellgal, immoral and has single handedly created more pain and ruined lives than anything in the history of mankinds bad ideas. TRUTH- this industries needs to be held publically accountable for the lies it sells the public. The govenment and the courts need to take an active role in investigating the legitimacy of anything and everything that comes out of this industry. People's Lives depend on it.

More mental health services are being provided by social workers than any other discipline; however, our universities are not adequately preparing MSW's to implement evidence-based practice. SAMHSA should encourage university schools of social work to ensure that MSW's graduate with the knowledge and skills to implement evidence-based practice. They should also work with CSWE to include this in accreditation standards.