There is tremendous concern regarding the recent changes to admission criteria for MHSS.  The latest criteria is so stringent in regards to past psychiatric hospitalization or residential treatment.  Just because an individual has been psychaitrically hospitalized does not make them more worthy of services than the individual who has not.  Individuals who have not been psychiatrically hospitalized have the same diagnoses as those who have and it doesn't make their symptoms/behaviors/functioning less real or debilitating.  Many individuals are simply scared to be admitted and/or recognize the stigma that mainstream culture presumes.  The reasons for declining psychiatric hospitalizations are endless.  The chain of events that has to occur before a prospective client can even be assessed is absolutely ridiculous and serves as just another barrier to promote poor service to those most in need.  An agency has to get a release of confidential information and/or a doctor's recommendation as well as prescription informatino from the very start.  The individual is at the mercy of community entities to submit the needed materials which could potentially take MONTHS to obtain.  This is completely unfair to the individual seeking services!  It is guaranteed that THIS logistical/chaotic  process will be a deterrent to services.  The population we serve is so frequently at risk for homelessness or they lack a working telephone. 

So now after 12/1/13 many individuals (that abundantly benefit from services) are no longer eligible are left to their own devices.  THERE IS A COMPLETE LACK OF RESOURCES for these individuals to turn to for help!

Also something else to consider is how individuals with severe mental illness may have periods of remission and may seem to eventually function well independently only to discover that their symptoms return with a vengence and/or they experience a traumatic event and they are at square one again.  To be so quick to discharge individuals from MHSS is completely dangerous to their wellbeing and unsound clinical practice!

I urge each of you to please consider revising the admission criteria, especially in regards to psychiatric admission and/or residential treatment requirement as well as psychotropic medication prescription requirements.