Like politics, medicine is local. I volunteer three days a week in an agency sponsored clubhouse for the mentally ill... It is in eastern South Dakota which got an F grade. But I do not feel that the grade reflects what is happening here. I have lived in Oregon and Washington state, and was happy to return to SD. My son get his mental health care here.

When we lived in Oregon, the Oregon legislature voted to discontinue any funding for those with a mental illness. That rates a zero in my book. In WA, the state appointed me to the governing board (of an RSN) overseeing the agency that provided services for my son, and I was sorely disappointed in the services provided. When he moved to Bellingham, his situation improved, however.

My point, I repeat, is that the scores on these reports cover many areas that might or might not apply, and local services can be either worse or better than the state average score....so I do not think the state score is a reliable guide to use to evaluate what is happening locally. And if you cannot rely on the scores, what good are they.