Assessing a CMHC's impact: resident and gatekeeper awareness of center services

One accessible measure of the impact a community mental health center has on the community it serves is the awareness levels of both residents and gatekeeper groups regarding the center's existence and services. This broad-based study was conducted with university students at no cost to the center and included 436 residents and 175 gatekeepers. The results indicated that awareness levels for community residents and gatekeeper groups were 34% and 53%, respectively, but varied dramatically as a function of how the awareness questions were phrased. The overall awareness findings generally supported those of other studies and were discussed in light of potential normative levels, methods for conducting surveys of this nature, response rates, and the increasing need to justify existence given the diminishing funding situation.