The Commission on Mental Health and Mental Retardation in its report to the Governor and the 1980 General Assembly requested the Secretary of Human Resources to establish as a high priority mental illness, mental retardation and substance abuse prevention and public awareness programs.

The Secretary was requested to prepare a five-year plan for the development and implementation of those programs and asked that special consideration be given to interagency efforts.  The Secretary of Human Resources responded by establishing an interagency task force made up of the following State Agencies:

* Office of the Secretary of Human Resources

* Department of Corrections

* Department of Education

* Department of Health

* Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation

* Department of Welfare

* Division for Children

* Division of Justice and Crime Prevention

Effective prevention and public awareness services means the lowering of the incidence of mental illness, mental retardation and substance abuse and misuse.  Prevention is particularly concerned with populations not yet affected by any of the three disability areas.  It is designed to be proactive, building on the strengths and resources available in the individual and his/her environment.

By definition:

Prevention services are activities aimed at substantially reducing the occurrence of mental disability, promoting the functional abilities of those who are not experiencing mental disability, and understanding environments that are conducive to improving mental health.  These activities are directed to the general community and to specific high-risk groups within the community who have not been identified as psychiatrically ill, or mentally retarded and who are not misusing or abusing drugs or alcohol.b

However, in order to formulate a prevention/public information and awareness plan, a number off issues or concerns were identified and discussed.  These areas,and recommendations for addressing them, are:

1. State-of-the art of prevention and public information programs.

2. The formal and informal prevention and public information service system.

3. Quality assurance and evaluation of prevention and public information programs.