An ad hoc committee of the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) was charged to investigate the use of group methods in Community mental health centers (CMHC), to assess the conceptual basis for the use of various group methods, to relate the use of group methods to group psychotherapy, and to evaluate trends in this area of mental health programming. Although group methods are being used in each of the ten defined areas of CMHC they are not a generalized modality of treatment. The farther one moves from the traditional mental health definition of patient populations and professional roles, the less group methods are used. The most important implication of this discussion for AGPA is to suggest the broadening scope of the mental health therapeutic systems. The group psychotherapy movement and AGPA grew out of a larger social and therapeutic movement. Thus to focus exclusively on group psychotherapy per the AGPA definition may unnecessarily constrict the contributions AGPA can make to both the therapeutic and community mental health fields. (Author/RSM)