Madness Reimagined: Envisioning a Better System of Mental Health in America

Steverson, Leonard A.: - Dr. Leonard A. Steverson is an Associate Professor Emeritus in sociology at South Georgia State College. He currently serves as an adjunct at Flagler College, a small private institution in St. Augustine, Florida. He has a BS and MS in Sociology and a PhD in Human Services (Marriage and Family Services). He has authored a handbook on the police called Policing in America: A Reference Handbook (ABC-CLIO), coauthored a sociology ancillary text called Giants of Sociology (with a revised edition; Pearson) and a social problems text titled Debating Social Problems (Routledge). He has published six chapters in edited volumes, twelve book reviews, and contributed entries in over a dozen social science encyclopedias. In addition to a long academic history, he has worked as a director of a mental health and substance abuse program for children and adolescents, as a family therapist, as a correctional counselor, and as a probation officer, therefore he has practical experience in the field. A recent month-long investigation into the current mental health system left him with some concerns about the system in which he was once employed. That, coupled with some concerns over the provision of mental health care in the United States, caused him to focus time and energy into making a positive impact on the field. This was the impetus for the book-a book intended for the public, to engage people in making sure the mental health system is an effective, efficient social institution.