Abstract

It is argued that for community care to function, it must be possible within the community system to identify, think about and manage the disturbances it generates. A model for thinking about community care which encompasses mental illness, careers and the community is described as followed. In this model the three elements, mental illness, carers and community are seen as the corners of a triangular space. The purpose of this model is to enable workers to foresee some difficulties and to address others in a manner that will lead to greater containment and more effective management of mental illness in the community.

Key words: triangular model, community mental care