La Amistad: Starting an Inpatient Program for Severely Disturbed Young Adults

Because of the lack of adequate local facilities for young people with schizophrenia-related illnesses, a psychiatrist in private practice established an inpatient program in a remodeled house next to his office. The main treatment method is behavior modification; family and group therapy and group activities are also used. Houseparents live on the premises, but the residents are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the house, and the patient government monitors all activity. Follow-up 44 months after the program opened showed that about three-fourths of the 70 residents who had left were considered improved or much improved.