ABSTRACT
In October 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed legislation that initiated the Community Mental Health Act. This landmark legislative proposal initiated the provision of mental health services in community counseling centers and authorized federal grants for the construction and development of these centers, which provide inpatient, partial, outpatient, and emergency care. The most substantial effect of the act is that it has helped those warehoused in state hospitals and institutions to return to the community. This was accomplished through the creation of community services boards in the 1960s and early 1970s, where catchment areas spanned 50 to 60 miles and provided all mental health and substance abuse services to consumers in that area. The top-presenting serious mental health disorders in both jail and prison settings are mania or manic episode, bipolar disorder, major depression, and psychotic disorders, notwithstanding the diagnosis of substance use disorder.
