Community Reintegration of Long-Stay Hospitalised Mental Health Consumers During COVID-19 Pandemic

Mandatory restrictions on social activities and access to services during the COVID-19 pandemic prevented discharge into the community of consumers from an extended-stay, hospital-based rehabilitation program. This article describes a revised discharge process that overcame the pandemic-related rest...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Australian social work Vol. 76; no. 1; pp. 113 - 121
Main Authors:	Tirupati, Srinivasan, Webster, Karen, Gifford, Kylie
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United Kingdom Routledge 02-01-2023 Taylor & Francis Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects:	Clinical outcomes Community Community Reintegration Consumers Coronaviruses COVID-19 COVID-19 (Disease) COVID-19 Pandemic Creativity Discharge Discharge Planning Health status Hospital Innovation Innovations Inpatient care Inpatients Long-Stay Inpatients Mental disorders Mental health Mental health care Mental Health Hospital Mental health services Pandemics Patients Political participation Psychiatric hospital care Psychiatric Rehabilitation Public health Rehabilitation Risk taking Severe Mental Disorders Social activities Social aspects Social situations Therapeutic Risk-Taking Treatment programs AUSTRALIA
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Summary:	Mandatory restrictions on social activities and access to services during the COVID-19 pandemic prevented discharge into the community of consumers from an extended-stay, hospital-based rehabilitation program. This article describes a revised discharge process that overcame the pandemic-related restrictions by replacing the graded and slow discharge process with a one-stage, full-time transition that facilitated the discharge of 16 adult consumers. No adverse mental health outcomes occurred during the process. The change of practice with its positive results reflected therapeutic risk-taking. The COVID-19 pandemic provided scope for creativity and innovation in mental health care and psychiatric rehabilitation. IMPLICATIONS Innovation and collaboration by service providers can promote consumers' positive risk-taking to return to a life in mainstream society after a prolonged stay in an inpatient rehabilitation unit. Community reintegration of consumers with enduring severe mental illness can occur under adverse public health and social situations like the COVID-19 pandemic with innovative hospital discharge planning.
Bibliography:	AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL WORK, Vol. 76, No. 1, Mar 2023, 113-121 Informit, Melbourne (Vic)
ISSN:	0312-407X 1447-0748
DOI:	10.1080/0312407X.2021.1980596