"Dr. Dichter's interest in community psychiatry began as a fourth year resident when he and a co-resident ran a psychiatric inpatient and outpatient program at Fort McCoy Wisconsin treating formally institutionalized chronically mentally ill Cuban refugees from the Mariel Boatlift. He came to Philadelphia to provide short-term inpatient treatment, alleviating emergency room congestion. There he first encountered the problems of homelessness and was particularly interested in the relationship between the homeless and their families. Dr. Dichter has been the Director of an outpatient department and inpatient unit, as well as the Director of Family Therapy at AEMC. His work with families focused on the impact of chronic mental illness on the family system. He was the first Medical Director for a Medicaid Managed Care Organization and has consulted with SAMHSA, CMS and several states assisting them to monitor access and quality of care for their public patients. He currently is the Medical Director for Pathways to Housing PA, where he has assists chronically homeless to maintain stable housing and recover from the ravages of mental illness and substance abuse."