North Carolina is in the midst of a comprehensive effort to reform its public MH/DD/SA system. While there are many reasons for this reform, central to it are a number of principles that form the vision for a better service system. Among these principles are a personal recovery focus; consumer/family involvement and choice; community collaboration, integration and involvement; clinical, administrative, and fiscal accountability; and identification and provision of best practice services to those populations most in need (i.e. "target populations").

The initial mechanism through which reform is operationalized is in the development and implementation of Local Business Plans. Local Business Plans were to be developed through a community-based inclusive and interactive strategic planning process collaborative led by the Area Programs/Local Management Entities. The plans detail how communities will meet state expectations around the goals and vision of reform. All programs were to submit Local Business Plans by January 1, 2003. NAMI North Carolina, in collaboration with the UNC School of Social Work and a panel of local experts in community-based services (see Appendix 1), reviewed elements of the plans from the 16 programs applying to be "phase one" programs and begin implementation of their plans on July 1, 2003. This review focuses on the underlying question of whether the submitted Local Business Plans reflect a move toward meaningful reform and underlying principles articulated in the State Reform Plan. In short, the question behind the review is "By implementing these plans to what extent will communities achieve the goals of reform?"