BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS: COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES TO PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATION

In my work with persons undergoing extreme states of mind, I have established a number of scenarios where we sought to break down barriers between the therapist and client and to provide support outside of a hospital setting. We created an environment where the client would live in the community, have supports to integrate into the community, and to have individuals who would journey with them on a daily basis and accept them 'where they were at' and for who they are. It is not to say that creating this environment was easy or that persons still did not undergo many challenges, but we certainly found it a more humane means of care, where people were not forced and coerced and they had a means to work through their crisis. I do know that these scenarios did produce far better results than the 'traditional' methods, and persons made their way to a better means of functioning and felt that they were treated with dignity.

-Dan L. Edmunds, Ed.D.

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