Develop new ways to provide ethical, effective mental health services in a world of managed care!Psycho-Economics gives psychologists and mental health care administrators suggestions for handling the changes that have come with the advent of managed care. Using empirical research and practitioner accounts, this informative book assesses the impact of managed care, suggests ways to ameliorate its negative effects, and proposes ideas for the improvement of the managed care system and mental health care in general. Psycho-Economics takes a clear look at the ways in which the managed care system has altered the practice of mental health care. While acknowledging its positive effects on accountability and provision of a broader variety of care options, the chapter authors also note its powerful negative effects, including cutbacks in length of treatment, potential abuses of confidential medical records, and over-prescribing of mood-altering drugs. Yet the book also offers hope for psychologists, social workers, and other counselors. By developing diversified areas for professional practice, collaborating with primary care physicians, and creating corporate education opportunities, psychologists can contribute their expertise to people who might otherwise have never sought them out. Moreover, mental health professionals can embrace new opportunities in treating substance abuse, behavioral health, and such specialized areas as forensic psychology, domestic violence, crisis counseling, and employee screening. These areas and other new developments offer you a chance to build a solid practice devoted to serving society's needs.Psycho-Economics: