What is a CMHC? A Comparative Analysis by Varying Definitional Criteria

Using definitions of a community mental health center (CMHC) derived from the original federal legislation, amendments that expanded the range of required services, and alternative conceptions of what constitutes a CMHC, the authors identify organizations that match those definitions in the National Institute of Mental Health Inventory of Mental Health Organizations. A distribution by organizational type is reported with a discriminant analysis applied to explore potential differences.