The majority of the public mental health system is in voluntary outpatient programs, the largest and most used being clinic treatment services.

[3] Inpatient care is provided mainly by homeless shelters, supplemented by the general hospital network, jails, and state psychiatric centers.

[5] The Office of Mental Health (OMH) is responsible for assuring the development of comprehensive plans, programs, and services in the areas of research, prevention, and care, treatment, rehabilitation, education, and training of the mentally ill.[6] Programs include inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, day care, emergency, and rehabilitative treatments and services.

[citation needed] OMH also regulates residential treatment facilities for children and youth operated by nonprofit corporations.

Funding comes from federal Community Mental Health Services Block Grants and the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentages program, more recently from e.g. the CRRSAA and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (COVID-19 stimuli packages), for targeted rate increases and recruitment and retention funds.

[11][12] The state FY 2024 budget also included funding for cost-of-living adjustments and expanded loan forgiveness for social workers and technicians.

[33] He was replaced by Dr. William J. Tiffany in 1937, who then resigned in 1943 over an investigation into handling of an outbreak of amoebic dysentery at Creedmoor State Hospital.