Do community mental health centers serve the chronically ill? The New York experience.

Some critics of the community mental health movement have contended that fewer clients with serious mental disorders are seen by local mental health centers. This statewide study compared patients being treated at community health centers (CMHC) with those seen at state psychiatric hospitals in New York State. Minor differences in psychiatric diagnoses and requisite levels of care needed emerged between short-term state psychiatric patients and CMHC inpatients. Suggestions for future research are offered.