In response to the growing need for community- based services for persons with severe mental illness, the National Institute of Mental Health established the Community Support Program (CSP) in 1977 (Turner and TenHoor 1978). The primary function of CSP was to improve the coordination of mental health services in the community, with special emphasis on enhancing the role of States, which had previously played a minimal role in the deinstitutionalization movement (Shern et al. 1989). Further involvement of the States was ensured when a funding mechanism was established that provided block grants directly to States to improve their community- based mental health systems (Surles 1987).