I agree with what you have to say. I think we are on a similar "thinking" path. A common problem is this "wide range of qualified professionals".  I can say from experience that hospitals, residential centers, group homes, detention centers, etc., are all running on minimal staff and maximum stress.  That is one of the issues I have with my job. I have gotten thrown across a room by a psychotic patient, because I was working a night shift alone with only a tech.
Do you think anything changed? No.

I work with a caseload of 14 Axis II adults everyday.  If one knows anything about how these patients operate, one patient could take up your whole day...along with their families.  And the "system " is so bent on documentation of this and that, there is no time for patient interaction, counseling, or intervention anyway. And it's all so insurance driven...patients have no time to get better, get grounded, before they are pushed back out into the stress that brought them in.  If they have no insurance, it can take up to 6 weeks to get in with a psychiatrist IF I set them up in the hospital.  They can't afford their meds, and we can only give 14 days where I work...you see the problem...

so prevention has to be KEY. funding for prevention. 

I do like your vision.  I can just tell you, social workers are not the greatest paid - even licensed.  It is hard to get good staff in a bad environment with poor pay. (or maybe i don't have to tell you ).  :)
and yes, are we the only two people who realize that prevention is cheaper than events caused by lack thereof? 

good conversation, Joanna.