The Atlanta Journal  Constitution reported yesterday that the State of Georgia is on the fast-track for privatization of its entire mental health system. As in most states, the motivation is financial. The state's mental health system is underfunded, incidents of abuse and negelct and abuse leading to patient deaths in the system have recently been publicized (see recent article from AJC,Hidden Shame), and the state is unwilling or unable to provide adequate funding to the system. Folks in the state goverment feel that a private entity will be able to run the system in a more efficient and cost effective manner than the state. What puzzles me about this plan is the intent of the state to turn over the ENTIRE management of the system to this private entity. Why do these sorts of changes have to be wholesale. Undertaking such a task would require a massive amount of planning to execute but this plan is slated to be completed by 2012. The reviews have been "mixed" thus far in states that have attempted only  partial transfers of of this sort.