Which shift in mental health service delivery occurred as a result of 1960s federal policy?

• A. Shift toward community-based care
• B. Greater emphasis on large inpatient hospitals
• C. Reduced federal funding for mental health
• D. No significant change

Answer: (A)

The shift being tested is the move from large inpatient facilities to care delivered in the community. In the 1960s, federal policy, notably the Community Mental Health Act of 1963, funded the creation of community mental health centers and emphasized treatment in outpatient and community settings. This reflected a push toward deinstitutionalization, with the goal of providing more humane, integrated care closer to where people live, supported by coordinated services rather than long-term institutionalization. The other options don’t fit because they would mean expanding or preserving inpatient care, reducing federal support, or seeing no change, all of which contradict the actual policy direction of that era.