The community mental health movement started with the purpose of providing services dealing with problems and issues specific to individual communities. As the movement grew, it took on the responsibility of delivering services to the "underserved" populations of this country, including children, the elderly, minority groups, and rural-area residents. American Indians also fit into this category, because they have occupied the unique position of being wards of the United States government, confined to reservations, or, in some cases, terminated as an ethnic entity. Dependency, negative self-concepts, and limited access to either the traditional Indian culture or the majority culture are examples of problems leading to feelings of depression and cultural ambivalence. Although community mental health concepts such as outpatient care, 24-hour emergency care, consultation, and education are useful in Indian mental health programs, limitations of population size and lack of personnel prevent the development of inpatient care and partial hospitalization services. Any mental health program designed for American Indians should also include a strong cultural element in order to enhance program effectiveness. (Author/HLM)