The 1978 legislation which established the Department of Community Mental Health also provided for the creation of a 15-member Community Services Board, a subcommittee for each disability, and five Area Mental Hygiene Councils. 

This network of community representatives and local service providers advises the Department on countywide and municipal issues. It serves as a bridge between government and the community by sharing information and concerns, identifying unmet needs, suggesting new programs, recommending priorities and calling attention to gaps in existing services. One of the most important functions of the Board, Subcommittees, and Councils is to help increase public awareness and acceptance of the Department’s programs and services.

The three subcommittees of the Community Services Board bear direct responsibility for overseeing the annual plans DCMH submits to the state for mental health, developmental disabilities, and alcohol and substance abuse services.  Each year, the subcommittees work with DCMH staff, providers and consumers to develop the most innovative and comprehensive programs possible within budgetary and regulatory constraints.  The OMRDD committee developed a task force this year to look at staff relating issues impacting on the continued operation and development of services in Westchester.