The New Community Consultation

A large proportion of chronically mentally ill persons live in nonmedical community residential facilities run by administrators and staff who are not specifically trained in the management of psychiatric patients; this situation makes consultation to residential facilities an issue of high priority. Consultants should be familiar with the facility's operating procedures; the wide range of social and vocational potential among long-term patients; and the needs of some patients for highly structured programs. They should be aware of the facility administrator's attitude toward mental health professionals and be prepared to deal with problems that can arise when they attempt to provide both consultation and direct service to the same facility. The authors recommend that consultants advise administrators on issues such as determining admission criteria; understanding the mental health system; and handling a variety of difficult behaviors.