MENTARIs were initiated as a response to requirements of the new Mental Health Act and Regulations (2010) which advocated for upgrading of community-based services to improve mental health of the population. It’s a new approach initiated by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) to improve outreach and re-integration of people with mental health problems. The official name is ‘Community Mental Health Centre’: the term MENTARI is an attempt for image-branding i.e. “MENTA” from the word ‘mental’ and “RI” from ‘psikiatri’. There is at least one MENTARI in each state in the country, and they are managed by the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health in the nearest hospital.  The treatment team in MENTARI is led by a psychiatrist; and team members include medical officers, occupational therapists, nurses, and medical social workers.  Volunteers provide assistance in non-clinical activities.