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1980 Outpatient Treatment

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1840: A Revolution in Treatment

1851: A Place for a Cure

1870: Long Term Care

1900: Emerging Treatments

1900-1960: Tuberculosis

1956: Spiritual Health

1900-1980: Carnivals & Amusements

1900-1960: Life on the Ward

1960-1980: Life on the Wards

1930-1950: New Treatments

1950 to the Present: Drug Therapy

1947: Occupational Therapy

1930-1966: Surgical Treatment

1988: Social Learning Program

1957: Youth Program

1980: Outpatient Treatment

The Hopeful Future

1980 Outpatient treatment

"One of the most common reasons a person returns to the hospital after going out on trial visit or being discharged is that he stops taking his medication."

From a Fulton State Hospital manual for patients and their families, 1970

 

Many with mental illness forget skills learned in a hospital setting after discharge. Outpatient care, though, could offset this dilemma by assisting released patients and reducing the need for readmission. Under new mental health laws in the 1950s, the Fulton hospital initiated a modified system of outpatient care. In the 1960s, the hospital established community clinics in Mexico, Hannibal, Rolla, Lebanon, and Eldon. By 1970, a typical treatment for mental illness included a brief stay at the hospital for stabilization. Upon release, the patient received in-home visits from trained staff who assisted with medication schedules.

Outpatient Clinic at the Fulton State Hospital, c. 1980.
Outpatient Clinic at the Fulton State Hospital, c. 1980.
Fulton State Hospital

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