The Mental Hospital Revisited: A Program

In a pilot program, an active, participatory treatment approach has been implemented in a 32-bed, inpatient setting at the Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI) and appears to be more effective than a traditional mental hospital treatment modality. This report presents a description of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Entry Project (PREP) at FMHI. The PREP program encourages client growth, independence, and responsibility through the use of a small group, peer-management approach. Research indicates that this approach results in a rehospitalization rate significantly lower than that of patients in a more traditional treatment program.