We are social animals that exist in networks of family, friends and acquaintances. The size and quality of these networks and the environments within which they are embedded have profound influences on mental health. Community psychiatry is about shaping the content and delivery of mental healthcare to take account of this reality. It necessarily involves efforts to improve network support including, for example, family interventions, supported employment and peer support. Efforts to tackle stigma and to mitigate toxic environments are also essential. Closing asylums and developing systems to deliver care to people’s homes is a job started, not job done.