A coalition of Alberta mental health organizations is hoping to convince the province to reconsider its investment in the Ponoka Hospital.

The government has committed $95 million to upgrading the aging mental institution.

The chair of the Alberta Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health wants the government to focus more attention on community-based programs instead.

Dennis Anderson points to research that suggests almost half of the hospital's patients would be better off living in the community with local support.

Anderson says his group plans to press that point with the government.

"They should take a look at whether or not that hospital needs to be of the size that it is, whether it needs to have the kind of facilities that were designed for it under the last minister," says Anderson.

But an Edmonton psychiatrist cautions against taking money from one program to pay for another. Patrick White agrees that community-based mental health programs are vastly under-funded.

White says institutions are under-funded as well and they serve a valid purpose for those patients who aren't ready to move back into society.