ABSTRACT
If the 1960s could be called the era of conflict, the 1970s could be called the era of accountability. Accountability became the watchword for the community mental health centers (CMHC) movement as a whole. Programs had to be accountable to the federal government for their finances; to patients, communities and to special interests for quality and quantity. The decade of the 1970s began with attempts by CMHC personnel and politicians to define a host of special client-interest groups for inclusion in services. Until this time, amendments to the legislation had mentioned the need to deliver services to consumer groups but had left the definition of consumers rather general. Although general theoretical statements within the CMHC movement had never been numerous, their frequency declined dramatically in the 1970s. Preston’s work was important not only for its content but also for its context.
