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Promoting community involvement in deinstitutionalization planning: the experience in one community
Hospital & Community Psychiatry
|August 1, 1982
Summary
Community deinmentalization efforts faced resistance. A project in Asbury Park, NJ, used community organizing to reduce conflict and enable local planning for former mental patients.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Community Psychology
- Urban Planning
Background:
- Deinstitutionalization of mental health patients has led to increased community presence, creating challenges for municipal governments.
- Asbury Park, New Jersey, initially resisted the influx of former mental patients, expressing significant criticism of the deinstitutionalization process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a project aimed at fostering local planning and resource development for deinstitutionalized mental patients.
- To explore the use of community organizing techniques to address conflict and facilitate positive local integration.
Main Methods:
- A collaborative project between Asbury Park and the Urban Health Institute, a nonprofit health care consulting firm, was initiated in 1979.
- Traditional community organizing techniques were employed to engage stakeholders and facilitate dialogue.
Main Results:
- The project successfully reduced conflict between the community and mental health services.
- An atmosphere conducive to positive local planning for deinstitutionalized patients was established.
Conclusions:
- Community organizing is an effective strategy for mitigating resistance to deinstitutionalization.
- Collaborative approaches can lead to successful local planning and resource development for vulnerable populations.