Abstract
This article reports on the perspectives of family members, hospital staff, community mental health workers and clients, themselves, on issues relating to discharge of clients from a psychiatric extended care facility. Families and hospital staff had the most concerns about clients having problems after discharge. Clients had the least concerns. Highly structured and supervised placement options were considered by 74% of hospital staff, 60% of community mental health workers and 44% of families to be the likely placement for clients but only 25% of clients selected this as an option. Approximately one-half of the hospital and community staff felt remaining in the hospital was the best alternative. Without the development of community placement and supportive alternatives, the extended-care facilities will continue to fill this gap in the mental health service delivery system.
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Additional information
Phyllis Solomon, Ph.D., is Director, Commission on Mental Health, Federation for Community Planning, 1001 Huron Road, Cleveland, OH 44115. Shirley Beck, M.S.S.A., is a Research Associate and Barry Gordon, Ph.D., is a Mental Health Consultant.
This research was funded by the Ohio Department of Mental Health.
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Solomon, P., Beck, S. & Gordon, B. A comparison of perspectives on discharge of extended care facility clients: Views of families, hospital staff, community mental health workers, and clients. Administration in Mental Health 15, 166–174 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00869250
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00869250