Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A framework for understanding participation in Community Mental Health Services

  • Articles
  • A Special Issue of Citizen Participation in Community Mental Health Services
  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Citizen participation has been associated with confusing rhetoric and conflicting philosophical rationales, both in its long history in America and in the community mental health movement. While CMHCs have emphasized participation less than many other social programs begun in the 1960s, participatory roles have evolved. Some of the confusion surrounding this complex topic can be clarified by distinguishing three dimensions of participation—power, participants and program functions. Conflicting societal trends leave the future of participation in the community mental health movement uncertain.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams, J. Letters to John Penn, “Works” (Boston, 1852–1865) IV 205 CR, p. 195, quoted in Hanna F. Pitkin,The concept of representation. Berkeley: U. of California Press, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  • Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.Citizen participation in the American federal system, Washington, D.C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnstein, S. R. A ladder of citizen participation.Journal of American Institute of Planners, 1969,35, 216–224.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banfield, E. C.Political influence. New York: Free Press, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beigel, A. & Levenson, A. I. (eds)The community mental health center: Strategies and programs. New York: Basic Books, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, D., & Feld, V.: The community revolution.The Public Interest, 1969,16, 142–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, B. S. A look at the overlook.Mental Hygiene, 1972,7, 9, 11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke, E. D. Citizen participation strategies.Journal of American Institute of Planners, 1968,34, 5, 287–294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu, F. B., & Trotter, S. The fires of irrelevancy.Mental Hygiene, Fall, 1972,6, 8, 10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu, F. B., & Trotter, S.The madness establishment: Ralph Nader's Study Group Report on the National Institute of Mental Health, New York: Grossman, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cupps, D. S. Emerging problems of citizen participation.Public Administration Review, 1977,5, 478–484.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahl, R. A.Who Governs? New Haven: Yale University Press, 1961.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daley, P. J. Who shall hold the conch? Some thoughts on community control of mental health programs.Community Mental Health Journal, 1974,10, 185–191.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Tocqueville, A. In Phillips Bradley (Ed.)Democracy in America, Vol I. New York: Knopf, 1945.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dorwat, R. A., Meyers, W. R., & Norman, E. C. Effective citizen participation in mental health: comparative case studies.Public Health Reports, 1979,94, 268–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eichler, A. The Community Mental Health Center Amendments of 1975 (Title III of P.L. 94-63):How are new CMHCs doing? National Institute of Mental Health, unpublished report, 1978.

  • Feldman, S., & Windle, C. The NIMH approach to evaluating the Community Mental Health Centers Program.Health Services Reports, 1973,88, 174–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenstone, J. D., & Peterson, P. E.Race and Authority in Urban Politics. New York: Russel Sage, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartz, L.The liberal tradition in America. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1955.

    Google Scholar 

  • Health Policy Advisory Center.Evaluation of community involvement in community mental health centers, Report to NIMH on Contract HSM-42-70-106. Accession No. PB-211-267. Spring-field, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, December 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstadter, R.The Age of Reform. New York: Vintage, 1955.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howe, L. The concept of community. In A. Beigel & A. Levenson (Eds.)The community mental health center: Strategies and programs. New York: Basic Books, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyman, D. Participation through hot-lines and citzen advocates. In S. Langton (Ed.)Citizen participation perspectives. Lincoln Filene Center for Citizenship and Public Affairs, 1979, pp. 148–155.

  • Jackson, P. I. Community control, community mobilization and community political structure.Sociological Quarterly, 19, 1978, 557–589.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health.Action for Mental Health. New York: Science Editions, 1961.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolton, M. S., & Dwarshuis, L.An evaluation of the impact of Regional Office 2% technical assistance program activities, FY 1976–1978. Contract report by the Organization for Applied Science in Society to the National Institute of Mental Health. December 1979.

  • Kornhauser, A.Problems of power in American democracy. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1957.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krimsky, S. Citizen participation in scientific and technological decision making. Part II, in S. Langton (Ed.)Citizen participation perspectives. Lincoln Filene Center for Citizenship and Public Affairs, 1979, pp. 181–187.

  • Lipsky, M., & Lounds, M. Citizen participation and health care: Problems of government induced participation.Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 1976,1, 85–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Litwak, E., Shiroi, E., Zimmerman, L., & Bernstein, J. Community participation in bureaucratic organizations, principles and strategies.Interchange, 1970,1, 44–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Long, N. The local community as an ecology of games.American Journal of Sociology, 1958,64, 251–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowi, T.The End of Liberalism. New York: Norton, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moynihan, D. P.:Maximum feasible misunderstanding. New York, Free Press, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marris, P., & Rein, M.:Dilemmas of social reform. Chicago: Aldine, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGregor, D.The human side of enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1960.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Institute of Mental Health. Policy statement regarding consumer participation in NIMH programs. Memorandum to NIMH staff, January7, 1969.

  • National Institute of Mental Health.Community Mental Health Centers Program Operating Handbook Part I Policy and Standards Manual. September 1971.

  • New, P. K., Holton, W. F., & Hessler, R. M.Citizen participation and interagency relations: Issues and program implications for community mental health centers. Report to NIMH from Tufts University on Contract HSM-42-70-99, Accession No. PB-210-093. Springfield, Virginia: National Technical Information Center, January 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nisbet, R. A.The quest for community, A study in the ethics of order and freedom. New York: Oxford University Press, 1953.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nightingale, D. V. The formally participative organization.Industrial Relations, 1979,18, 301–321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norris, E. L., & Larsen, J. K. Critical issues in mental health service delivery: What are the priorities?Hospital and Community Psychiatry 1976,27, 561–566.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oakeshott, J. J.Rationalism in politics, and other essays. New York: Basic Books, 1962.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orkand Corporation.Project Summary: Board and Staff Composition of Health Planning Agencies. Washington: Health Resources Administration. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, HRA, 78–609, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pitken, H. F.The concept of representation. Berkeley, Calif.: University of Calif. Press, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  • Premo, F.Overview of CMHC monitoring since decentralization. National Institute of Mental Health. Unpublished manuscript, 1972.

  • Premo, F.Overview of CMHC monitoring, 1974. National Institute of Mental Health, Unpublished manuscript, 1978.

  • Premo, F.Monitoring community mental health centers, 1978. National Institute of Mental Health. Unpublished manuscript, 1980.

  • Rosener, J. B. Citizen participation: can we measure its effectiveness?Public Administration Review, 1978a,38, 457–463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosener, J. B. Matching method to purpose: the challenges of planning citizen participation activities. In S. Langton (Ed.)Citizen Participation in America. Lexington, Mass.: Lexington Books, 1978b, pp. 109–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossiter, C.Conservatism in America: The thankless persuasion, New York: Vintage, 1962.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sayre, W., & Kaufman, H.Governing New York City. New York: Russel Sage, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

  • Specter, G.Power: a repossession manual: Organizing strategies for citizens. Amherst: U. of Massachusetts, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stockdill, J. W., & Sharfstein, S. S. The politics of program evaluation: The mental health experience.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1976,27, 650–653.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, G. Workers participation symposium: introduction.Industrial Relations, 1979,18, 247–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Truman, D.The governmental process. New York: Knopf, 1951.

    Google Scholar 

  • U. S. General Accounting Office.Need for more effective management of Community Mental Health Centers Program. Report to Congress, Washington, D.C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vandervelde, M. The semantics of participation.Administration in Social Work, 1979,3, 65–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Windmuller, J. P. Industrial democracy and industrial relations.The Annals of American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, 1977,431, 22–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zurcher, L. A. The poverty board. Some consequences of “Maximum feasible participation.”Journal of Social Issues, 1970,26, 85–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zurcher, L. A., & Green, A. E.From dependency to dignity: Individual and social consequences of a neighborhood house. New York: Behavioral Publications, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Mental Health Service Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Rockville, Maryland

    Charles Windle Ph.D. (Program Evaluation Specialist)

  2. Department of Administrative Leadership, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

    James G. Cibulka Ph.D. (Associate Professor)

Authors
  1. Charles Windle Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. James G. Cibulka Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the National Institute of Mental Health. The author are indebted to Dr. J. Ciarlo for extensive editorial syggestions

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Windle, C., Cibulka, J.G. A framework for understanding participation in Community Mental Health Services. Community Ment Health J 17, 4–18 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00754205

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00754205

Keywords

Search

Navigation