Many mental healthcare advocates supported this measure. However, the de-institutionalization under the Reagan administration became the criminalization of mental illness, largely due to tax-cuts and as much as 25% cuts in funding.

Recently, the Bush administration announced his "New Freedom Initiative" that expands the failed policy of Reagan (Rosas and Jackson, 2004). According to Rosas and Jackson: "There are a few differences in approach, however. The most significant difference being, Bush is cozy-in-bed with pharmaceutical conglomerates allowing them to develop the government's mental health policy. The policy would be consumer driven, providing "State-of-the-art treatments" i.e. The newest drugs. But how can the emphasis be on the newest treatments when most government programs limit coverage to generic pharmaceuticals?"

Bush's Final Report proposes, "the early detection of mental health problems in children and adults - through routine and comprehensive testing and screening - will be an expected and typical occurrence (Rosas and...
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