ABSTRACT

Community mental health as a scientific and professional field is primarily concerned with preventing negative adaptations to stress and promoting positive adaptations to stress. These aims are based on the premise that mental health services should be allocated in accordance with knowledge of the social organization of com-munities and the social structure of population groups. Postdoctoral training is highly recommended for the psychologist seeking a career in community mental health. Graduate preparation should pro-vide training in both research and practice sufficient to enable him to pursue his future career in work with either a research or practice orientation. Specific priorities for a community mental health program are Clinical methods courses are primarily concerned with methods for assessing social settings; analysis of adaptations to stressful events; and analysis of behavior change. These courses should begin during the first year of graduate work.