| The purpose of this study was to identify the differences in perceived organizational climate at two types of mental health treatment sites. Mental illness rates are consistently high in the United States of America. Organizational climate influenced client retention and treatment compliance in primary care and at specialized mental health treatment sites. The structure of the organization, with rules and regulations, influenced the level of perceived organizational climate at the unit level. The treatment of mental illness is influenced by different government regulations in primary care and mental health care giving the rationale for expanding organizational climate theory to the organization type. The results of this study were needed information for lawmakers and organizational leaders in order to identify if changes were necessary at the unit, organization, or government level. The research question, if there were differences in the perceived level of organizational climate at two types of mental health treatment sites, was answered by hypothesis testing. Quantitative research design with the causal comparative method was used to identify the differences in perceived organizational climate in primary care and mental health treatment sites. The research participants were recruited by purposeful sampling, and they had minimum one year work experiences at these treatment sites in the United States of America. The research participants filled out the General Job Stress Questionnaire and the Biodata Questionnaire online. There were no statistically significant differences between the data obtained from workers at primary care and mental health care (F (2, 108) = 2.89, p = .28). The findings cannot be generalized beyond the sample, and the organizational climate theory cannot be expanded from the unit level to the level of the organization and organization type. Based on these results, improving the quality of mental health services is associated with unit level changes. |
