But beginning in the 1960's, mental health experts began emphasizing community-based treatment and the use of new drugs that made hospitalization unnecessary for many patients.

He was referring to a movement to bring the mentally ill out of confinement in hospitals and into community-based treatment.

At the same time, he cut the state's investment in community-based treatment for the mentally ill.

People who suffer from mental illness deserve the community-based treatment they were promised, as well as clean, modern hospitals, when needed.

The idea was to rely on more humane community-based treatment - but it never developed on an adequate level.

Official policy is to provide such people community-based treatment rather than keep them in state mental hospitals.

Mental health courts link offenders who would ordinarily be prison-bound to long-term community-based treatment.

An even better step would be to enhance financing for community-based treatment, including supportive housing.

It is problematic, however, that the proposal would require these individuals to get treatment in prison before becoming eligible for community-based treatment.

Beginning in the 1960's, the state emptied and closed the institutions because mental health experts were emphasizing community-based treatment and the use of drugs.