Needs-based planning for persons with serious mental illness residing in intermediate care facilities

This study examined the association of clinical status to mental health service use among persons with mental illness living in residential care. Two hundred residents with a chart diagnosis of schizophrenia were randomly selected from four intermediate care facilities. The severity of psychiatric illness-community mental health (SPI-CMH) scale was used to assess clinical status and symptom severity according to three dimensions: symptoms and functioning, risk behaviors, and complication to illness. Lower levels of severity of psychiatric illness were associated with participation in workshops, family contact, and admitting to mental health problems. Results suggest that residents of the intermediate care facilities have clinical needs consistent with habilitation and rehabilitation services. While residents infrequently engage in high-risk behavior such as suicide and violence, they have considerable living skills and vocational needs. Future research should consider the relationship over time of mental health service utilization, severity of psychiatric illness, and psychosocial factors.