Looking Ahead

As the MFP plans for the future, there are some cogent issues on the horizon that need to be addressed. The aging of the American population will present a daunting challenge to mental health professionals and, at the same time, the overall American workforce is becoming feminized, more culturally diverse, and older. Ethnic populations are gradually becoming more heterogeneous, each with its own set of cultural values, folkways, and mores.

Though the MFP has met and surpassed its goals over the past two decades, its challenges will require a focused and concentrated effort related to educating a sophisticated workforce of nurses who are doctorally prepared, conduct research, and function as competent clinicians, educators, and policy promulgators.