Psychiatric Roles in the Community Mental Health Center

The original model for the community mental health center was a health-oriented treatment facility associated with a community hospital, operated under medical leadership, and staffed with other mental health professionals. For a variety of reasons, the number and role of psychiatrists in the centers have declined significantly. Of the psychiatrists who remain, many are employed only part time and are relegated to signing prescriptions and insurance forms. These developments have the potential for causing the neglect of acutely and chronically ill patients. Reversal of the trends requires a redefinition of the roles of professionals on the mental health team and a variety of other efforts by the centers themselves, psychiatric training programs, the psychiatric profession, and the federal government.