A HOME-BASED PROGRAM FOR THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE-PSYCHOSIS

There is evidence that home treatment is an effective alternative to h ospital admission for patients with acute psychiatric illnesses. This report describes processes necessary to establish and disseminate home treatment programs as well as the impact and comparative cost of a ho me treatment program developed in Metropolitan Toronto. Organizational analysis revealed a number of essential structures and interactions n ecessary to facilitate smooth functioning for home treatment programs involving several agencies. Attitudes towards home treatment were posi tive, symptoms were reduced, family burden decreased, satisfaction was high and home treatment was preferred to hospital admission. Economic data indicate that home treatment is less costly than hospitalization .