The remedicalization of community mental health

Abstract

Although the number of full-time psychiatrists working in community mental health centers has generally declined, success in retaining psychiatrists varies throughout the country. According to one study, centers that were the most successful in retaining psychiatrists were those in which psychiatrists devoted more time to clinical care and were more directly involved in outpatient work. Facing accelerated competition from nonmedical providers, psychiatrists must reassess their position in community mental health. The author discusses strategies to remedicalize community services, such as specialized programs that offer training in forensic, geriatric, and child psychiatry.