Measuring agency investment in community mental health

This paper reports a study of the extent to which essential elements of community mental health are part of mental health agencies' practices. A sample of 263 social workers reported on the nature of programming and services of 19 mental health facilities ranging from city and state community mental health centers to inpatient psychiatric hospitals. All agencies were found to be engaged primarily in diagnosis and treatment, and such community mental health components as primary prevention, coordination, continuity of care, and use of community boards were virtually nonexistent. Possible explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.