Decriminalization In Hospital

The movement towards deinstitutionalization has shown a significant shift away from psychiatric hospitals to community health centers; with the result being better management of mental health conditions and more fulfillment for many patients. Though this process has at times been fraught with controversy and has not taken a linear path, overall, major improvements have been made in the way mental health is viewed and treated in the United States.

Prior to the modern mental health system we all know today, the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries believed that caring for the mentally ill should be left to the family, not society (Grob, 1994). Referred to as “distracted” or “lunatics,” there was a strong sense of burden associated with mental

The overall goal of this report was to improve the quality of the hospitals, promote mental health for future generations, support early interventions for individuals and increase training to the workforce (Koyanagi, 2005). The report planned to shift funding patterns in order to accommodate the needs of mentally ill people in America (Grob, 1994). The Joint Commission also stated that to make this transition possible it would require increased funding. The question of “What can society afford to spend on mental illness?” had not been fully addressed until now. The federal government concluded that is not an issue of economics but rather a moral obligation (Grob, 1994). President John F. Kennedy brought a youthful, energetic, and activist image to the White House shortly after his inauguration and publication of the Action for Mental Health; this only increased public approval. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy stepped in with suggestions of altering some aspects of the upcoming changes. He pushed for a shift from the hospital setting to a comprehensive community programs. These community centers would provide outpatient care, day treatment, rehabilitation, foster-home services and public education on mental health. Kennedy also proposed changes in funding, the funds would go directly to the care centers and not to the states (Koyanagi, 2005). With such a negative association attached to the mental care at state hospitals, the Kennedy administration sought to transition from “clinics,” into “centers”. They described the centers would be multi-service community facility (Grob, 1994). They would provide care and early diagnosis for both in and outpatients. The centers would also be responsible for the aftercare of individuals discharged from hospitals (Grob, 1994). With many social programs thriving