Day hospital in the context of a community mental health program.

The paper focuses on the role of the day hospital within the framework of total care delivery in community mental health programs and stresses its unique position in the continuity of care cycle. The day hospital lies midway in the service continuum between inpatient and outpatient services and can provide a bridge between community and intramural resources. As such it can serve as a "center for change' where inputs from the entire network of services merge to test solutions for care delivery problems. Experiences with a specific day are used to illustrate relevant issues for those currently engaged in planning or implementing day hospital services.