Pub. L. 94-63, tit. III, sec. 302

Sec. 302. (a) The Congress finds that— (1) community mental health care is the most effective and humane form of care for a majority of mentally ill individuals; (2) the federally funded community mental health centers have had a major impact on the improvement of mental health care by— (A) fostering coordination and cooperation between various agencies responsible for mental health care which in turn has resulted in a decrease in overlapping services and more efficient utilization of available resources, (B) bringing comprehensive community mental health care to all in need within a specific geographic area regardless of ability to pay, and (C) developing a system of care which insures continuity of care for all patients, and thus are a national resource to which all Americans should enjoy access; and 89 STAT. 309 (3) there is currently a shortage and maldistribution of quality community health care resources in the United States. (b) The Congress further declares that Federal funds should continue to be made available for the purposes of initiating new and continuing existing community mental health centers and initiating new services within existing centers, and for the monitoring of the performance of ail federally funded centers to insure their responsiveness to community needs and national goals relating to community mental health care.