Inpatient logistics and planning needs.

Those responsible for the planning of new comprehensive community mental health centers providing short-term hospitalization should realize that about one-third of all patients using inpatient services will have to use them more than once, and this may eventually compromise the center's availability to new patients. If separate administrative structures exist for the center and the state hospital system, close cooperation between the two will be essential. Ninety-two of 395 patients in this study eventually needed long-term care.