The Range Mental Health Center: Evaluation of a community-oriented mental health consultation program in Northern Minnesota

A description and analysis of the Range Mental Health Center's professional activities are presented. The results of this program analysis suggest that a public health, consultation-oriented mental health center can provide equitable and effective services to a large geographic area. Maintenance of ongoing consultative relationships with a variety of community caretaker groups appears to he a key factor in providing these services. Initial findings suggest that mental health consultation services assist community caretakers in managing emotionally disturbed clients effectively, thus broadening significantly the impact of the mental health center staff upon community mental health.