ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to trace some of the influences that Gerald Caplan has had on the field of community psychology, but also to speculate on how his rich store of ideas may continue to influence the field in the future. Although Caplan may be most immediately associated with specific typologies such as primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, or specific helping modalities such as mental health consultation, it is the population focus that provides his clearest conceptual identification with the origins of community psychology. Before commenting on Caplan’s overall contribution to community psychology, and what the field can still learn and build on from his work, it is useful to briefly mention some of the more discrete areas of work that Caplan embedded in his community vision. Since its inception in 1965, community psychology has drawn from four primary areas of Caplan’s writings: prevention, crisis intervention, mental health consultation, and the role of support systems in promoting adaptive responses to stress.
