A collaborative day treatment program for chronic patients in adult homes

Three agencies providing services for the Nassau County (N.Y.) Department of Mental Health initiated a pilot program to provide comprehensive day treatment services to chronic psychiatric patients living in adult homes in Long Beach, New York. After screening, the clients are assigned to the regular day program of one of the centers. Two buses transport the clients to and from the centers, and a paraprofessional is assigned to each bus to encourage group discussion and interaction. The sponsoring agencies found that the original expectations for rehabilitating the clients were unrealistic. However, while clinical symptomatology was not altered, many of the clients manifested improved social behavior as the result of training in social and daily-living skills, and rates of rehospitalization were substantially reduced.