Reduction in Services for Severely Mentally Disabled Sheltered-Care Residents: A 12-Year Perspective

This study explores reductions in the availability and utilization of health, mental health, and social services to 144 of California's sheltered care facilities between 1973 and 1985. Results show sheltered care facilities were insulated from reductions in availability and utilization of services. While utilization in 1973 was not associated with the availability of mental health agency-based services in 1985, it was significantly associated with reductions in outreach services involving facility visits by agency-based personnel. The degree of disability of residents in a facility had little association with the availability of services across time.