THE HAMILTON (MCMASTER) PSYCHIATRIC NETWORK - THE EVOLUTION OF AN INTEGRATED NETWORK OF PSYCHIATRIC-SERVICES

For 25 years, the Hamilton-Wentworth region has had a well integrated network of Psychiatric services. The initial impetus for its establish ment came from the founders of the Department of Psychiatry at McMaste r University in 1967. They envisaged a regional network of services th at integrated the resources of a community-focused university departme nt with those of local community agencies and other mental health care professionals. Over the years, the evolution of the network has been shaped by changes in the size and composition of the faculty, the emer gence of additional clinical services and community programs, new dire ctions in the field of psychiatry and changing economic forces and soc ial values.