Community service development for consumers in long-stay psychiatric hospitals in South Carolina

SC's creation of quality & cost-effective commnity-based services for residents with serious mental illness is described. Such policies resulted from the input of national policy leaders in a 1989 conference & program implementation by community groups after the conference. Projects developed out of a federally mandated planning process focused on the transition from long-stay hospitals to community-based public mental health care. Longitudinal interviews with 135 consumers prior to discharge in 1994 & 6 months after discharge reveal that the projects have met goals & reduced costs. 2 Tables, 16 References. B. Persky