Community Posthospital Follow-Up Services

Abstract

Clients ready for discharge from the Fresno County Department of Health Acute Psychiatric Unit were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 71) or a control group (n = 72). The individuals in the experimental group received community follow-up services from one of four psychiatric social workers for a period of 30 days after their discharge from the acute psychiatric unit. The control group received no follow-up ser vices from the project staff. The evaluation of the project was based on a period of 60 days following each client's discharge from the hospital. The results showed that posthospital community follow-up, as provided in this demonstration project, is effective in preventing or at least delaving rehospitalization, without increasing the cost of mental health care.