Psychiatrists and statewide health coordinating councils are products of widely disparate cultures, yet they share the goal of providing the highest quality patient care, and to achieve it they must work together. The author describes the functions of statewide coordinating councils, the cultural influences that make it difficult for psychiatrists and coordinating councils to work together effectively, and his own experiences as a member of the coordinating council in Massachusetts. He emphasizes the need for psychiatrists to become more actively involved in planning efforts if they are to have an impact on the delivery of mental health services, serve the needs of their patients, and retain control of the future of their profession.