Psychiatric Consultation: The Job Corps Experience
LEE B. MACHT M.D.1,
DONALD J. SCHERL M.D.2, , and
JOSEPH T. ENGLISH M.D.3
1 Deputy medical director of the Job Corps, Office of Economic Opportunity, Executive Office of the President, Washington, D. C. 20506
2 Director of community health services, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Office of Economic Opportunity, Executive Office of the President, Washington, D. C. 20506
3 Acting director for health affairs, Office of Economic Opportunity, Executive Office of the President, Washington, D. C. 20506
The Job Corps program and the current range of psychiatric consultation practice in this setting are described. A survey of 97 consulting psychiatrists was conducted; the results indicate that the range of utilization of psychiatrists by Job Corps centers extends from the psychiatrist as diagnostician to the psychiatrist as social systems and program consultant. The authors also describe their own experiences in "community-oriented" psychiatric consultation at two Job Corps centers.
