A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO REDUCE HOSPITALIZATION OF DEVELOPMENTALLYDISABLED CLIENTS WITH MENTAL-ILLNESS

Developmentally disabled clients with a concomitant mental illness are often underserved or inappropriately treated because of interorganiza tional barriers, leading to unnecessary hospitalization and lengthy de lays in community placement. To overcome these barriers, agencies resp onsible for developmental disabilities and mental health services in S pokane County in Washington State developed a collaborative system of care in 1989. An interagency consortium was established to promote coo rdination of services between the community mental health center, the state hospital, the county human services agency, the state's regional developmental disability service agency, the state institution for th e developmentally disabled, and several community agencies serving dev elopmentally disabled persons. Between 1990 and 1992, admissions of de velopmentally disabled persons to the state hospital were more likely to be appropriate admissions of persons suffering from a mental illnes s, developmentally disabled clients were discharged more efficiently, and crisis respite services were used in place of hospitalization. In addition, anecdotal reports indicated a reduction of interagency tensi ons.