Changing Mental Health Services: The Politics and Policy Book

Mental health services are changing due to pressures from within the services and changes in social policy outside of mental health care. "Changing Mental Health Services: The Politics & Policy" examines the issues involved in the care of the mentally ill in the context of a society undergoing profound changes in health and social care. The book looks at a range of differing strategies which have been used in providing for those with mental illness from containment in institutions to care in the community policies. The origins of these policies are explored and the consequences for the professionals and service users alike examined. Challenging the 20th-century public policy on mental halth, this text argues that social policy is necessarily political, especially when dealing with issues such as public expenditure and the loss of liberty. The reforms of the NHS and the role of social service departments are discussed to enable an understanding of how these changes came about and the implications for mental health services. A case study of managing change and providing mental health services in Manchester in the early 1990s is included. This is contrasted by looking at the development of services in America. An alternative approach to the planning and management is given to enable mental health provision which records the impact of services on the quality of life of service users. This book is aimed at those health professionals undergoing training or education in the mental health field who want to look at issues of policy and practice in a social, political and historical context.Read More