There are few public policies and government programs that are less understood by the general public than state behavioral health care. In many jurisdictions it is the only part of the health care delivery system where state or local government is both the primary funder of care and a direct provider of care. Millions of dollars are spent on the treatment, support, and supervision of a narrow segment of our population. Very often this is a segment that has been shunned or ignored by traditional health care delivery systems, and where government has become the provider of last resort.