It is the purpose of the Community Mental Health Services Act to
- (1) provide a range of community-based inpatient, outpatient, and support services for persons with mental disorders;
- (2) assist communities in planning, organizing, and financing community mental health services through locally developed, administered, and controlled community mental health programs;
- (3) better develop and use resources at both state and local levels;
- (4) develop and implement plans for comprehensive mental health services based on demonstrated need on a regional basis;
- (5) improve the effectiveness of existing mental health services;
- (6) integrate state-operated and community mental health programs into a unified mental health system;
- (7) ensure that consumers, families, and representatives of communities within mental health planning regions can participate in planning for, determining the need for, and allocating mental health resources;
- (8) provide a means of allocating money available for state mental health services according to community needs;
- (9) encourage the full use of all existing public or private agencies, facilities, personnel, and funds to accomplish these objectives; and
- (10) prevent unnecessary duplication and fragmentation of services and expenditures.