Changing Trends in CMHCs: Keys to Survival in the Eighties

Since 1970 community mental health centers have been seeing greater percentages of less seriously ill patients in spite of the growing numbers of seriously and chronically ill patients in the community. CMHC staffs are composed of less highly trained individuals at all levels, centers appear to be used less for psychiatric training, and federal funds have decreased substantially. To survive the 1980s, centers must make some drastic adjustments, the author believes. They must develop closer relationships with other health facilities, including state hospitals, and they must reprofessionalize their staffs, offering incentives that attract and retain more psychiatrists and doctoral-level psychologists. Centers must market their services more competitively to consumers in the private sector. They must continue to care for the indigent, becoming more adept at participating in third-party insurance programs.