POTENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY RELOCATION AMONG RESIDENTS OF ALBERTA PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES - A NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Objective: To identify the proportion of residents in Alberta's psychi atric hospitals who would be relocatable to community-based alternativ es to care if appropriate programs were made available. Methods: A sur vey of a representative sample of residents in all psychiatric hospita ls and care centres was undertaken, excluding patients in specialized programs for forensic psychiatry, brain injury, and substance abuse. R esults: Findings indicate that 11% of institutionalized patients could be considered good candidates for relocation to community-based alter native care. A further 35% were considered to have potential for reloc ation provided an intensive and complex array of services was first ma de available. Conclusion: Results support a phased-in approach to hosp ital downsizing and the need for considerable transitional funding. Be cause hospital downsizing is unlikely to save dollars, at least in the short term, reforms must remain guided by humanitarian motivations to improve qualify of life for persons with severe and persistent mental illnesses.