Institutional reform--prerequisites for providing a life of quality for mentally retarded residents

The present paper is a socio-ecological description of institutional reforms implemented at Kfar Tikvah, Israel. Kfar Tikvah is a community for approximately 130 moderately mentally retarded individuals. For the purpose of institutional reforms the organizational structure of the kibbutz system was adopted, but without adherence to its underlying philosophy. As a first stage in institutional reform the application of the kibbutz structure proved successful. However, for reforms to achieve the goal of providing residents with quality of life, structural changes are not enough and a clear philosophical orientation is needed.