"The Community Mental Health Reader is an interdisciplinary resource for students preparing to become mental health professionals, those functioning as practitioners in community mental health settings or policy planners engaged in the evaluation and development of programs in the human services. Drs. Samuel and Jessica Rosenberg seek to clarify the issues surrounding community mental health.
Starting with an overview of the field, focusing on the Community Mental Health Act of 1963, the Reader goes on to cover: various treatment modalities (psychoeducation, self-help, peer groups, clubhouse programs and assertive community treatment teams); the economic, policy and treatment issues unique to vulnerable populations; .the issues surrounding September 11, 2001, and the many distinct aspects of post-9/11 care and preparedness planning. The final section five considers the present state of community mental health and future trends in managed care, potential terrorism and current research.