When the 13 founders of the American Psychiatric Association came together in 1844, hospitals were small, and the administrative aspects of a superinten dent's job were relatively minor compared with their size and complexity today. Since the turn of the century, administration-the art and the sci ence-has become a specialty of great importance, particularly in big business and government. Business recognizes fully that the success of organizational endeavors depends to a great extent on the talents and energies of top lead ers. As a result, industry spends huge sums of money to train promising young executives and offers generous salaries and benefits to entice them. Anyone who wants to invest in a business first asks: "Who manages this organization, and is this management competitive in today's marketplace?" Although health is today a great industry, emphasis on the executive role has lagged behind that in the general business field. In mental health circles, the strong emphasis on one-to-one therapy has delayed a full appreciation of the influence of organization per se on patient care and treatment. Yet there 1 are now many signs of change. The popularization of behavioral science and the rise of social and community psychiatry have brought organizational con siderations forward. We are increasingly concerned with the human side of enterprise, with worker satisfaction, group dynamics, and organizational morale. Other flags have been unfurled.

When the 13 founders of the American Psychiatric Association came together in 1844, hospitals were small, and the administrative aspects of a superinten dent's job were relatively minor compared with their size and complexity today. Since the turn of the century, administration-the art and the sci ence-has become a specialty of great importance, particularly in big business and government. Business recognizes fully that the success of organizational endeavors depends to a great extent on the talents and energies of top lead ers. As a result, industry spends huge sums of money to train promising young executives and offers generous salaries and benefits to entice them. Anyone who wants to invest in a business first asks: "Who manages this organization, and is this management competitive in today's marketplace?" Although health is today a great industry, emphasis on the executive role has lagged behind that in the general business field. In mental health circles, the strong emphasis on one-to-one therapy has delayed a full appreciation of the influence of organization per se on patient care and treatment. Yet there 1 are now many signs of change. The popularization of behavioral science and the rise of social and community psychiatry have brought organizational con siderations forward. We are increasingly concerned with the human side of enterprise, with worker satisfaction, group dynamics, and organizational morale. Other flags have been unfurled."

This definitive resource offers those working in the field of mental health services administration fundamental information on delivery of care systems from an organizational perspective. It examines the principles of leadership and management in the field and sets the practice of psychiatric administration and management in the context of today's rapidly evolving health care environment. "Mental Health Care Administration" will be especially useful for those clinicians who have assumed administrative roles, as well as for those administrators trained exclusively in programs emphasizing management and leadership, to understand the complexities of clinical skills and the delicacies of therapeutic issues in a mental health care setting.
In a series of succinct chapters each dedicated to a separate issue, Dr. Rodenhauser and his contributors cover the current economic environment of psychiatric practice, mental health systems, marketing, review mechanisms and regulatory agencies, mental health law, financial management, organizational behavior and human resources, and outcomes assessment and improvement.
"Mental Health Care Administration" compiles the experience of expert contributors for the benefit of administrators, clinicians, academics and their students. Irrespective of persuasion, however, anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the relationship between administration and service delivery will find this book enlightening.
Paul Rodenhauser, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry, Assistant Dean for Academic and Counseling Services, and Director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine.