A behavioral treatment program for chronic schizophrenics

I examined the effects of a residential treatment program on symptoms and mental health service use in 14 chronic schizophrenics. The clients chosen for this study were the most difficult clients in this population due to continued high service usage (i.e., time spent in locked facilities). All 14 clients had been in a locked facility at least 1 year immediately prior to treatment. The program included skills training, reinforcement for incompatible behavior, and a token economy. The clients\u27 symptomology was recorded twice a day. My hypotheses were that symptoms would decrease due to the program, and clients mental health service use would also decrease in a 1 year follow-up. Mental health service use (time spent in a locked facility) did decrease dramatically after treatment. All 14 clients had a decrease in the amount of time spent in locked facilities after treatment. The total cost for these clients in locked facilities the year immediately prior to treatment was conservatively estimated at $776,500. The annualized figure of the total cost of these 14 clients after treatment was estimated at $44,775, saving San Joaquin County approximately $721,725 in 1 year. The results did not support the hypothesis that the program reliably decreases schizophrenic symptomology as we measured it