This paper points out that both formal and informal historical precedents in community mental health have emphasized citizen participation as an essential element of the system's success. It reviews citizen involvement procedures in use in one midwestern catchment area, and concludes that citizen representation appears to be inadequate, in particular in terms of geographical and occupational variables. It then contrasts the community mental health approach with a seemingly more effective strategy used by community development workers in the same community. Differences between the two methods are analyzed in relation to an active-passive continuum of staff effort to gain citizen input. The mental health approach is characterized as a passive strategy, while the community development method is shown to be an active one. Conclusions are, first, that community mental health staff should take more active steps toward citizen-provider interaction; and, second, that specific strategies should be developed to govern the extent and type of consumer control to be utilized within the system. (Author)