The homeless mentally ill and community-based care: changing a mindset.

The care of persons with severe, persistent and disabling mental illness has received increasing attention during the past ten years. This focus is due, to some extent, to the increased visibility of a subset of this population, the large number of individuals with psychiatric problems who have become homeless. These men and women, who are without homes or in temporary residences, present a sophisticated array of needs and a multiplicity of problems which have rendered most communities impotent to provide appropriate and adequate rehabilitative services. To date, there is no "perfect" community-based system of care for these men and women. What exists is a hodge-podge of shelter, outreach and drop-in center services. Most of these provide little more than a bed (or a chair) to sleep on, a hot meal and refuge from inclement weather. This article discusses some of the issues and assumptions that inhibit and foster the development and provision of a comprehensive system of community-based care for persons with serious and persistent mental disorders who have become homeless. A framework, useful in reconceptualizing the clients, the services and the interaction between them is presented.