PATTERNS OF PSYCHIATRIC-SERVICE USE BY HOMELESS MENTALLY-ILL CLIENTS

The objective of this study was to describe the patterns of service us e of homeless mentally ill clients prior to and for two years followin g an admission to Skid Row Mental Health (SRMH) services in Los Angele s during a recent year (N = 268). Twenty clients were still at SRMH tw o years later. These clients were older and more likely to be female; most of their prior service use was at SRMH. For the majority of the 1 24 clients in the second group, those who had been discharged and not readmitted, the index admission was their only admission. The 124 clie nts in the third group, those with admissions after the index admissio n, had long histories in the system. Cluster analysis showed distinct patterns in service use during the follow-up period. Knowledge of patt erns of service use by homeless mentally ill persons will enhance unde rstanding of interventions which have the greatest chance of success.