Search

As higher numbers of individuals are released from prison and rejoin society, reentry programs can help former offenders reintegrate into society without continuing to engage in crime. This quasi-experimental study [...]

This qualitative study assessed clients' participation in organizational decision making in a public long-term psychiatric hospital. Numerous examples were found in which clients meaningfully participated in the decision-making process and achieved favorable policy changes. Three means of involving clients were found to be especially useful: (1) using a consumer council, (2) involving clients in the formal policy review process, and (3) including clients in the hospital's performance improvement system. The authors offer guidelines for mental health organizations wishing to promote client participation in organizational decision making. Implications for social work are discussed. KEY WORDS: administration; decision making; focus groups; mental illness; organizations, People with severe mental illness (SMI) traditionally have been perceived by themselves and others as powerless (Carling, 1995; Williams, 1995). This perception occurred in part as a result of the [...]

Participation in treatment planning can be one means of empowering clients. However, significant barriers exist to empowering people with severe mental illness through treatment planning. This qualitative study reviewed documents and conducted focus groups with clients and staff of a public psychiatric hospital to identify barriers to empowerment and the conditions that must be present for client empowerment to occur through treatment planning. The conditions for empowerment were based on both psychological and organizational factors. For empowerment to occur, clients need psychiatric stability and decision-making skills. Organizations promote empowerment by ensuring that clinical staff have the time to involve clients in treatment planning, promoting staff attitudes that are respectful of clients' ability to participate in treatment planning, providing clients with a range of treatment options, designing programs that have a strong philosophical commitment to client empowerment, and implementing programs pro perly. Key words: empowerment; mental illness; psychiatric hospitals; treatment planning, Client empowerment is fundamental to social work practice (Dubois & Miley, 1999; Lee, 1994). Historically people with severe mental illness have lacked empowerment (Carling, 1995; Goffman, 1961). One way to [...]

Federalism is a system of government that divides power between two or more levels of government. During the current conservative political climate in the United States, power has shifted increasingly from the federal government to states, a move that has implications for the achievement of social justice. Consequently, it is now necessary for social workers to engage in political activity at the state and local levels, in addition to the federal level, to promote social justice. Implications for social work policy practice, research, and education for advancing social justice within the federal system of government are explored. Key words: devolution; federalism; policy practice; political activity; social justice, As we enter the 21st century, the current conservative political environment of the United States is likely to continue and possibly become more entrenched. One outgrowth of this movement is […]

This article explores the increased role of state-operated public psychiatric hospitals in treating forensic patients. Patients with a forensic legal status have a mental illness and are involved with the criminal justice system. Using data from Missouri's forensic system, the article compares the characteristics of voluntary hospital patients with those of the largest hospitalized group of forensic patients - those found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). Overall, NGRI patients tended to be higher functioning, less likely to have committed assaultive acts, and more likely to have substance abuse and personality disorder diagnoses. The article explores the treatment needs of forensic patients who reside in public psychiatric hospitals and discusses the effect of the strong presence of forensic patients in public psychiatric hospitals on social work practice, including clinical work with forensic patients, social work administration, and social work advocacy. Key words: administration, advocacy, forensic social work, psychiatric hospitals, treatment, The role of state-operated public psychiatric hospitals as changed in the era of the deinstitutionalization f mental health services. No longer are these hospitals the hub of psychiatric services in [...]

The study discussed in this article describes the characteristics of 188 patients who were residing in a state psychiatric hospital on July I, 1995, and identifies the patient-related factors associated [...]

In recent years communities across the United States have instituted specialized criminal courts for defendants with substance abuse disorders and mental illness. These specialized courts seek to prevent incarceration and facilitate community-based treatment for offenders, while at the same time protecting public safety. The authors describe two types of specialized courts: drug courts and mental health courts. They critically examine the strengths and weaknesses of these courts and conclude with implications for social work education, practice, research, and advocacy.