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In the early 1960s . . . renewed public concern, the civil rights movement and advances in medication led to the release of thousands of mentally ill people from hospitals. Though that movement, called
deinstitutionalization, was praised for making services more humane, . . . the two elements that were supposed to work together–state institutions and community mental health services–were never properly connected. Experience has shown that neither is sufficient by itself and that many people are continuously shunted from one to the other. As a result, emotionally disturbed children and adolescents, chronically mentally ill adults, elderly, homeless mentally ill, mentally ill offenders and others may not receive appropriate care–or any care.
