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The competence criterion for mental health programs

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Abstract

Mental health programs are ordinarily assessed in terms of the extent of services rendered and the professional level of staff. These criteria do not permit an accurate judgment of the value of these services. It is proposed that measures of the effectiveness and cost of such programs are required. The relative contributions of an index of therapeutic impact versus a measure of improvement in “social competence” are discussed. It is concluded that the competence criterion is more objective and quantifiable in nature and more directly relevant to publicly supported mental health programs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass.

    Leslie Phillips Ph.D. (Professor of Psychology and Research Professor in The Institute of Human Sciences)

Authors
  1. Leslie Phillips Ph.D.
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Additional information

He was formerly with Worcester State Hospital and continues to be a consultant there. The position presented in this paper is based on work supported by the Dementia Praecox Research Project, Worcester State Hospital, Worcester, Mass., and a research grant (MH-06369) from the National Institute of Mental Health, United States Public Health Service.

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Phillips, L. The competence criterion for mental health programs. Community Ment Health J 3, 73–76 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01543070

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