Show r J f t I t MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS t Stanley F. F MD M.D. Director National Institute of Mental Health r 1 Foster Homes Help Helpt t t Patients Return To Normal Living Lhing 8 l By Sherman N N. N Kieffer MD M.D. Director National Center for Mental Menial Health Services Training and Research k Foster homes can be an important imi im- im i t link between the hospital hospital host hos- hos t pital an emotionally ill person and his return to normal living in the community Many patients need no longer r remain in a mental hospital f oj But they do need continuous r supervision while they make the thet I t change from institutional to community living livins They are unable to return to their own homes either because they have I no home and no interested relatives relatives relatives rel rel- or because their home environment might be conduct condu- condu 3 ct Give dve to their readjustment Illustrating how this works is the foster home program of Saint Elizabeths Hospital Hospital Hospital-Divi- Divi Division sion Divi-sion of Clinical and Community t Services rv of f our ur Natio National aJL al al Center w t located in Wash Washington Ii In ston DC D.C. About 2200 patients are now living in over foster homes r I- in t the e area These are operated r r. r on a basis asis of pay from the hospital hosI hospital hos hos- I pital pita I. I by individuals or families All foster homes are evaluated carefully for their physical arrangements ar nr- ar- ar and the family's feelings about their service to those who will l live ve with them A few patients fail to adjust to fo foster ter homes and return to the hospital A few others simply s sit t. t But some get jobs and are me eventually well enough to be officially discharged from the hospital The foster care coordinator for the hospital tells of one time long-time patient who went after many years to live in m a foster home The woman had been a 1 telephone operator before before before be be- fore her illness One day she I announced that she was going to take tale a job test A fashionable Washington hotel needed a switchboard operator Fearing that the woman might be in for disappointment the foster care coord coordinator warned that she might not beable be beable beable able to pass the test but urged her to try her best A few days later a call came There were eight or nine other applicants the happy voice said but butI I I got got the job She She became became head switchboard operator at the hotel Not many term long-term patients are arc as successful But the point is that if the combined efforts of hospitals hospitals hospitals hos hos- all over the country and such foster homes are successful successful success success- I ful ful fewer and fewer patients will have such long periods of I institutional life and can return sooner to normal living |