When President John F. Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Act of 1963, the landmark legislation fundamentally shifted our country’s mental health and wellness system by prioritizing grassroots, community-centric care over long-term hospital stays that Kennedy recognized as ineffective, inhumane, and unsuccessful in promoting real recovery.
In the years since the Act’s passage, hundreds of thousands of people left institutions and returned to their communities. As October ends, Americans can celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Act.