This course is the second foundational research course in the PhD specialization in Health Services Management and Policy. This course is intended to expose students to the field of health services research through an examination of classic and current research on health services delivery and health policy. Through lectures, guided discussions, and reading assignments, students will gain understanding of the salient questions and issues health services researchers have attempted to address and the methods they have employed to do so. The course will stress student participation in discussions.

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the significant issues and trends in behavioral health delivery systems in America. This graduate course covers the organization, financing, and delivery of behavioral health (including mental health and substance abuse) services in the United States and offers a detailed overview of the US mental health delivery system. Students will explore various organizations, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, outpatient clinics, community mental health centers, residential treatment facilities, and crisis intervention services, focusing on their functions, services, business models and populations served.