The psychiatrist and community mental health practice

This paper deals with community mental health practice for the psychiatrist. It defines comprehensive community mental health, its scope, and the variety of centers that are emerging. It discusses the possible ways that various professions may be affected. It presents the similarities and differences between public health and community mental health. Medical and psychiatric education are discussed emphasizing the need for curricular change in preparation for future practice. An existing model now in operation at New York Medical College is described which affords an opportunity for the training of psychiatrists, other professionals and nonprofessionals as community mental health workers in multi-disciplinary, task oriented teams engaged in action, training and research. Built into the program is a method for ongoing evaluation. This program also illustrates how the psychiatrist functions as a specialist, generalist, and community mental health worker.