Permanent and stable housing for individuals living with a mental illness in the community: A paradigm shift in attitude for mental health nurses

The provision of appropriate housing for individuals with a mental illness has been recognized by a number of researchers as a means to enhance effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation services, to maintain treatment gains, and to decrease community opposition to deinstitutionalization. Whether community-based services, which are now meant to be the focus of treatment, are successful or not is crucially related to the nature and availability of accommodation. This paper argues a case for change in the current philosophical basis of, and services provided by, mental health professionals and agencies that are charged with the responsibility of meeting the housing needs of consumers of mental health services. This change, it is contended, needs to be to an approach that is more flexible, more supportive of the consumer, and in which the consumers are empowered to make decisions and choices about their housing needs