Public Service Mental Health Practice and Psychology: Historically at the Cutting Edge

Public service psychologists have led in the systematic use of new approaches to assessment, diagnosis, therapeutic interventions, and organizational management of mental and physical disorders. Outstanding examples include the MMPI and its successor developed at the University of Minnesota; elaboration of its 2-point code types and additional clinical scales at VA Medical Centers; David Wechsler's work on intelligence and memory measurement at Bellevue Hospital, New York; early adoption of group therapy, early development of family therapy, token economies, and adult mental hygiene clinics; and finally the impetus for the development of accreditation in professional psychology.