According to the Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service in 1999, an estimated 20 percent of the U.S. population suffers from a mental disorder each year, and many also struggle with co-occurring disorders, such as substance abuse or a chronic physical illness. Despite the need for mental health services, almost half of these individuals are not accessing and receiveing treatment.

Individuals with mental health issues experience various barriers to accessing mental health services, including issues of stigma, limited knowledge and/or understanding of mental illness, fragmentation of services, and a limited supply of mental health providers; particularly, providers with the skills and exeprience to work with diverse, multicultural populations who often speak languages other than English and bring different world views about mental health.

SEMHSOC seeks to develop the clinical and nonclinical work force in mental health by using a variety of training and capacity-building strategies. These strategies may include traditional academic preparation, continuing education and in-service training for mental health allied service providers to enhance the knowledge and skills, and recruitment and retention strategies.