The access of the homeless mentally ill to the benefits of psychiatric
hospitalization has been excessively limited by deinstitutionalization, the
devaluation of the benefits of inpatient evaluation and treatment, a
shortage of public-sector psychiatric beds, and a tendency to regard the
homeless mentally ill as untreatable. A pilot program was devised to
increase the access of the homeless mentally ill to short-term
hospital-based treatment within a public mental health system in which beds
are in short supply. The program's usefulness demonstrates the value of
hospital-based treatment for this population and suggests that
hospital-based treatment is currently underutilized.Abstract Teaser