This article identifies two major traditions that drive the mandate for a community mental health care system—community protection and individual healing. It discusses the historical antecedents of these two traditions and how these traditions relate to different visions of what the “common good” means. It then discusses how they both operate in the current US‐based system, creating inherent conflicts and tensions, and gives specific examples from the personal and professional experiences of the authors. The article proposes ways to reduce the tension and discusses what sacrifices and compromises this resolution would entail for the US community mental health system. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.