Recently the US Department of Health and Human Services has declared services for those living with serious mental illness to be one of its top three clinical priorities, and in response to the twenty-first Century Cures Act has created the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee. It is tasked to “report on advances in research on serious mental illness among adults and serious emotional disturbance among children and on federal outcomes related to measures of suicide, drug overdoses, emergency hospitalizations, criminal justice involvement, homelessness, unemployment, and other issues. The ISMICC also will recommend actions that federal agencies can take to better coordinate the administration of mental health services for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance.” (HHS.gov). We are most fortunate that one of our AACP Board Members (Ken Minkoff, MD) has been appointed to this committee. This newfound recognition of the importance of these issues underscores the salience of our work, our alliances with providers, families and consumers, and our publication.

For those of you who are avid readers of this journal, you know our humble beginnings were focused on providing a venue for reporting on research related to “public sector” services for those living with serious mental illness, as the journal reflected the mission of the American Association of Community Psychiatrists (AACP). As time and circumstances have progressed, the mission of the AACP has expanded, and now reflects a more comprehensive interpretation of the work we do, the systems of care in which we work, and the consumers, family members, and colleagues with whom we work. So, too, has the purvey of this journal expanded, now ranging from case studies to population-based reports; we include more research on efficacy of specific programming to broader populations, delving into issues of social determinants, resilience and recovery. We have embraced a global perspective, knowing that we can all learn from, and be inspired by, community psychiatrists across the world. We are seeking review articles that will help consolidate and update our understanding of community psychiatry, and hope to start including book reviews relevant to our field, and submissions that identify quality improvement approaches to problem solving.

This month’s timely issue (in the face of Hurricane Harvey and the devastation wrought on Texas and Louisiana, as well as the horrific consequences to monsoons in India) pursues different responses to trauma and disaster, as well as articles on how systems of care can conceptualize and build resilience in vulnerable populations. Let us know if there are topics we need to address.