Day Hospital as an Alternative to the Psychiatric Ward

Author:
  • JOJohn F. Odenheimer
    John F. Odenheimer
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Abstract
I. Background of Study IN January of 1963 the psychiatric day hospital and the psychiatric inpatient service, both facilities of the San Mateo County Mental Health Services, began a project which gave the day hospital staff the opportunity to screen patients who had been accepted for hospitalization for alternate treatment in the day hospital. These facilities—day hospital as well as psychiatric ward—are located at the San Mateo County General Hospital in San Mateo on different floors. The psychiatric ward is a 30-bed unit for emergency admission and treatment with an "open door" policy and "therapeutic community" orientation dating back to 1956. The day hospital was established in January of 1961 in its present location on the ground floor of the hospital. The project was set up to answer the following questions: 1. What percent of patients considered in need of full-time hospitalization on a