The Continuing Challenge of Deinstitutionalization

New Hampshire was one of the first states to move individuals with severe mental illness out of large, state-run institutions and into community-based care. We’ve come a long way since the horror stories of the institutions, but the move to community-based treatment has its own set of challenges. We’ll look at how treatment options have changed in New Hampshire and where we stand today. Laura’s guests are Richard Cohen, Executive Director of the Disabilities Rights Center, and Donald Shumway, CEO of Crotched Mountain in Greenfield and former Commissioner of Health and Human Services. We'll also hear from Louis Josephson, CEO of Riverbend Community Mental Health in Concord, and James MacKay, state representative from Concord and chair of a new state commission on mental health.