Mental health practices and programs around the world face growing criticism from policymakers, consumers, and service providers for being ineffective, overly reliant on treatment by professionals, and overly focused on symptoms. Many have called for new paradigms of mental health and new practices that can better support recovery, community integration, and adaptive functioning for persons diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities. While there has recently been much discourse about transformation and recovery, there has yet to be a critical and systematic review that unpacks the concept of mental health systems transformation or that examines strategies for how to create transformative change in mental health.

Community Psychology and Community Mental Health provides empirical justification and a conceptual foundation for transformative change in mental health, based on community psychology values and principles of ecology, collaboration, empowerment, and social justice. Chapters provide strategies for making changes at the level of society, policy, organizations, community settings, and mental health practices. The editors and authors draw from experience in different countries in recognition of the need to tailor change strategies to different contexts. The common experiences of the international perspectives represented underscore the importance and the need for a new paradigm while demonstrating that there are many alternatives and opportunities for pursuing transformative change.

This book will be of interest to community mental health professionals, researchers, and students, as well as policymakers, administrators, and those with lived experience of mental health issues.

Geoffrey Nelson is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University.

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"This is an important book--a great collection of ideas and examples about how best to engage in transformative action and improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, groups, and communities. From identifying problems in existing paradigms of community mental health, to discussing potential approaches and solutions, this book is a great resource for everyone interested in action to bring about positive social change."

--Vicky Stergiopoulos, MD, Psychiatrist-In-Chief, St. Michael's Hospital, and Associate Professor and Director, Division of Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

"This book, the latest in this important series, charts a new course to advance community mental health. The chapters offer vivid descriptions of conceptual frameworks and programs for mental health consumers/survivors that will inform even the most progressive mental health professionals. This is a 'must read' for everyone committed to improving mental health."

--Jean Ann Linney, PhD, Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Villanova University

"This volume both respects the history of the community mental health movement and points it to a more revolutionary future. It's the most exciting, energizing book about community mental health to appear in years."

--Keith Humphreys, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, Stanford University