LOCAL MENTAL-HEALTH AUTHORITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEM CHANGE - EVIDENCE FROM THE ERT-WOOD-JOHNSON-PROGRAM-ON-CHRONIC-MENTAL-ILLNESS

The extent of change in the performance of local mental health authori ties (LMHAs) and in the development of community support systems (CSSs ) is assessed for nine demonstration cities that participated in the R WJF Program on Chronic Mental Illness and one comparison site. Paralle l measures of LMHA and CSS performance were obtained from two data sou rces (key informant and interorganizational network surveys) conducted at each site at two times during the demonstration: 1989 and 1991. Fi ndings indicate that the LMHAs were successfully implemented at most d emonstration sites, but changes in the CSSs lagged behind LMHA perform ance levels. The amount of system change tended to be greater when est imated from network versus key informant data.