Improving public mental health services for trauma victims in South Carolina

Studies have shown that trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder are highly prevalent among persons with serious mental illness who are treated in state-funded mental health systems. Nevertheless, there is strong evidence that many of these persons receive inadequate mental health services. South Carolina recently became one of at least 15 states whose departments of mental health have initiated efforts to better address these needs. The goals of this initiative are to sensitize stakeholders, influence policies, educate and train clinicians, and increase knowledge by supporting a strong empirical research platform. Current progress and future directions are described in this article.