Are Urban Mental Health Centers Worth It?

On the basis of experience in San Francisco, the authors believe that the community mental health center offers a viable alternative to state hospital care for the mentally ill and is able to do this economically. The centers are functioning reasonably well and are growing in size and in range of tasks. However, serious problems remain, including the challenges of drug abuse, alcoholism, and childhood mental illness, as well as a wide range of organizational and administrative problems.