This excellent book addresses the needs of persons with long-term mental illnesses who are homeless and near homeless. It
has particular relevance to those patients who have been homeless for many years with very severe illnesses and drug/alchohol addiction. It is very readable, and surprisingly relevant given its publication date of 1990. Populations addressed include the homeless mentally ill, character disordered youth, crisis ridden young adults,
treatment resistant chronic adult patients and impaired elderly. The text details their needs and creative ways to address those needs. The text enables the worker to bring the services to the street level where these people are, instead of waiting for them to come in to an office for help. For all community mental health workers, social workers, psychologists, nurse practitioners and psychiatrists who serve the homeless. The book has both theoretical information and front line observations and experience. Through clinical vigettes, workers currently in the field chronicle the implementations of various treatment based approaches: mobile outreach programs, crisis interventions teams, outreach teams, assertive community treatment, transitions from hosptial based care to community based care and deinstitutinalization. The authors give special consideration to tailoring the treatment program to each individuals needs. I look forward to seeing an updated edition of the this book in the future.