In a time of expanding needs but shrinking resources, there are great challenges ahead for the Division of Mental Hygiene, which provides services in four areas, as the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services did before it: mental health; mental retardation and developmental disabilities; early intervention services; and chemical dependency. As always, the Division is striving to meet the needs of New Yorkers by offering high quality and effective services. But we are working toward that goal with an additional focus - that of improving our Division's data gathering and analytic capabilities and making them the foundation for all else that we do.

We have identified an ambitious agenda and are determined to ensure that our programs are sound - based on clinical and epidemiological scientific evidence, expert consensus, best practices and the assessment of outcomes. In this way, we will best fulfill our mandate to optimally serve the residents of New York City. As we strive to meet these goals, we are fortunate to be working with a provider community that offers New York City residents such a rich array of services, among the finest in the nation.

It has been a particular pleasure for me to get to know the work of organizations like Hospital Audiences, Inc. HAI has developed an impressively wide range of social rehabilitation services for people with a serious and persistent mental illness. These services offer vital assistance to consumers in achieving independence by helping them develop self-confidence and competency in relating to mainstream society. In bringing live arts experiences to consumers, HAI is also providing enjoyable, enriching experiences for consumers, thus contributing to their overall health and wellness. We commend HAI for its success and look forward to continuing our work together.

Lloyd I. Sederer, M.D., is New York City's first Executive Deputy Commissioner for Mental Hygiene in the newly created Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Prior to joining the Department, Dr. Sederer served for two years as Director of Clinical Services at the American Psychiatric Association in Washington, D.C. He is also the former Medical Director and Executive Vice President of McLean Hospital in Boston. A native New Yorker, Dr. Sederer attended the Bronx High School of Science and City College. He is a past recipient of the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.