Abstract
In reviewing the public mental health services of 11 California counties during a period of fiscal retrenchment, we found several common trends: a greater focus on the severely mentally disabled; an increase in utilization of hospital-based care, residential treatment, day treatment, and case management services; and a decrease in the capacity of traditional outpatient services. Although the severely mentally disabled are receiving a higher priority for service, the findings imply that these service systems continue to inadequately address the need for long-term maintenance and supportive services to this population.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
County Supervisors Association of California,California County Fact Book. Sacramento, CA, 1983.
Hargreaves, W.A. Theory of psychiatric treatment systems: An approach.Archives of General Psychiatry, in press.
Hargreaves, W.A., Gaynor, J., Ransohoff, P. & Attkisson, C.C. Restrictiveness of care among the severely mentally disabled.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1984a,35, 706–709.
Hargreaves, W.A., LeGoullon, M., Gaynor, J., Attkisson, C.C., Bloch, B. Defining the severely mentally disabled.Evaluation and Program Planning, 1984b,7, 219–227.
Hargreaves, W.A., Shaw, R.E., Shadoan, R., Walker, E., Surber, R., & Gaynor, J. Measuring case management activity.Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1984c,172, 296–300.
Hargreaves, W.A. Shumway, M., Knutsen, E.J., Weinstein, A., & Senter, N. Effects of Jamison-Farabee consent decree: Due process protection for involuntary psychiatric patients treated with psychoactive medication. Paper presented at the May 1985 meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.
Jerrell, J.M. & Larsen, S.K. How community mental health centers deal with cutbacks and competition.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1985,11, 1169–74.
Pepper, B., Kirshner, M.C. & Ryglewicz, H. The young adult chronic patient: Overview of a population.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1981,32, 463–469.
Schwartz, S.R., & Goldfinger, S.M. The new chronic patient: Clinical characteristics of an emerging subgroup.Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 1981,32, 470–474.
State of California, Department of Finance.California Statistical Abstract. Sacramento, CA, 1984.
Talbot, J.A. (ed.),The Chronic Mental Patient: Problems, Solutions, and Recommendations for a Public Policy, Washington, D.C., American Psychiatric Association, 1978.
U.S. Bureau of the Census.Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1985 (105th edition). Washington, D.C., 1984.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was supported by grant MH 343743 from the National Institute of Mental Health. Reprint requests should be sent to Mr. Surber, Room 7M, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110.
We use the term “chronic mentally ill” in this paper to be consistent with the other articles in this issue, although we generally prefer the term “severely mentally disabled” to describe this population.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Surber, R.W., Shumway, M., Shadoan, R. et al. Effects of fiscal retrenchment on public mental health services for the chronic mentally Ill. Community Ment Health J 22, 215–228 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00756983
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00756983