Alcoholism: Services Research in the Era of Managed Care

From the President ofthe Research Society onAlcoholism - On behalf of the Research Society on Alcoholism I welcome the important contri bution that Volume 15 of this excellent series on Recent Developments in Alcoh- ism brings to our field. It is not enough for our scientists to develop effective and efficient methods to identify and treat alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence; the availability of these services is often limited and it is certainly nonexistent for the early problem drinker. In nineteen outstanding chapters, Volume 15 deals with organizational issues concerning access to and delivery of substance abuse treatment and the role of managed care. Several chapters deal with economic issues, cost-benefits, and - nancing of these services. Lastly, five address recent treatment outcome studies. Thus, this volume will be of great value to both scientists and practitioners. The Editor and Associate Editors are congratulated for this conceptual and organi- tional accomplishment. Yedy Israel, Ph.D.