The Demonstration Officer in a Community Mental Health Setting: His Perceptions of Function and Role

Background of the Study. The passage of the Community Mental Health Centers Act in 1963 heralded a new approach toward the treatment and prevention of mental illness in the United States. The Act, Title II of Public Law 88-164, was based on the recommendations of a lengthy study prepared by the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health. The study was Action for Mental Health, now a landmark in the history of our nation®s concern for the care of the mentally ill. The Community Mental Health Centers Act has given impetus to the planning of new mental health programs by providing the funds for two-thirds of the cost of construction of a mental health center. In order to qualify for funds, a community mental health program must show comprehensive - ness by five major areas of services: (1) in-patient services; (2) outpatient services; (3) partial hospitalization including night care and weekend care ; (4) emergency services twenty-four hours a day in the areas listed above; (5) consultation and educational services available to community agencies and professional personnel. These services are of necessity interdependent and, to be effectively utilized, must be part of a coordinated whole