The future role of state hospitals

Much has been written about the future of state hospitals for the mentally ill; however, their precise role in a system committed to community care has yet to be resolved. Ethical and moral dilemmas characterize the debate and focus on the notion that community care is preferable to hospitalization. Missing from these discussions has been the realization that a majority of chronically mentally ill persons are below the poverty level and are dependent upon the public sector for their care. Particularly relevant to these discussions are the needs of those chronically mentally ill persons who are homeless. This paper describes a follow-up study of patients released from hospitals and the process that leads to homelessness. The role of the state hospital in providing services to this population is examined from the vantage point of these individuals receiving care elsewhere.