This practice depicts the current trend in the public health center. While it is viewed as a move to reduce cost and pressure on the use of modern facilities in public health institutions, a question has been about the capacity of communities to accommodate and provide effective treatment to mentally ill persons. More worries are eminent as the influx of mentally retarded persons overwhelms cities and urban centers.
The rationale of this idea is that public health institutions for the mentally ill were on track to achieve operational efficiencies. However, it is also argued that the public was losing its corporate social responsibility by removing mentally ill persons from their institutions to the community-based organizations. It should be the responsibility of the government or state to provide equal opportunities to all its citizens whether mentally ill or not. While the decision may have come at the right time its interpretation by different people may not have a common value.
Introduction
Deinstitutionalization has become a major trend in the health sector, public health institutions have realized an urgent need to move fast towards cost efficiencies and flexibility. This has seen a number of institutions being transformed into community-based health organizations, especially for mental illness. De-institutionalization refers to the process where the states relinquish ownership and control of large inpatient hospitals that are normally set up to manage and treat patients with mental illness, to the community care. De-institutionalization is sometimes synonymous with privatization (Kelley& Johnson, 2007).
In this scenario, the role of the administration manager will be to evaluate the program on SWOT analysis basis to determine whether the project is viable. SWOT analysis is universally acceptable and in most cases used to evaluate the impact of strategic decisions. The abbreviation SWOT means Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. These variables are instrumental in determining the performance as a result of taking a course of action (Wright, 1997).
Its common in organization managers must make organizational decisions which in most cases are focused on improvement areas or strategies, but before everything is done careful analysis should be done based on the perceived benefits that are likely to accrue to the organization. This is a community health organization that should mainly serve the interest of the community, if the administrator feels that there might be stumbling blocks in the process then it should not undertake the action (Psychology, 2009).
Strengths
We have said that deinstitutionalization refers to the provision of treatment through community-based outpatient clinics rather than inpatient hospitals. This eliminates the cost of attending to patients. In general, there will be no administrative costs involved. This is likely to save the organization a lot of finances. (Wright, 1997). Community-based health care systems are designed in such a way that the outpatients are free to do what they feel is necessary. It gives a lot of freedom to people and therefore has become a major public choice. This implies that the organization is likely to get many clients. (Kelley& Johnson, 2007). Community-based healthcare centers are tax exempt. This means that an organization can channel the revenue that was to be paid as tax to other important investments. (Wright, 1997) In most countries, there has been a current trend to move to community-based organizations. Due to pressure and the associated high costs, most government agencies are now encouraging deinstitutionalization. These agencies set aside an amount for these programs. (Kelley& Johnson, 2007. Deinstitutionalization inculcates a culture of professionalism in society. This encourages innovativeness among the different individuals. People develop a sense of acquiring new skills and ideas in a society. (Psychology, 2009). In community-based hospitals clients are likely to be treated at a lower price than in the public sector health organizations. This is likely to attract more clients and hence record more profits (Wright, 1997).
Weakness
Deinstitutionalization has contributed to homelessness, where out patients being released from the hospitals have no where to go. This has caused a lot of inconveniencies to clients. It has also led to periodical re hospitalization of mentally ill people. (Fakhourya & Priebea, 2007). Deinstitutionalization can lead to complications as the operators may not have adequate and necessary technical and professional qualifications and competencies.
Community based organizations may suffer from failure to properly address the needs of the local community. They may not be able to have systematic and reliable internal systems that could provide positive assurance on health care. This can detrimentally cause clients. Deinstitutionalization can be easily affected by the prevailing circumstances as people begin to hold different opinions as the pursued interests. Unless the organization has a credible strategy for dealing with future uncertainties it may not be able to manage risks that can befall it any time (Johnson&Trausdottir, 2002).
A health institution should have adequate resources including competent personnel to confidently handle situations perceived to be complex. Highly competent individuals can carry out experiments using technical machineries and valid systems to arrive at positive conclusions. This may not be the case with deinstitutionalization (Psychology, 2009).
Opportunities
The greatest opportunity that this program is likely to get is the government support through its agencies. These organizations are normally perceived to be humanitarian taking the care of mentally ill persons and are therefore likely get funding from various agencies including non governmental organizations. This can go along way strategically placing these organizations. It is therefore the responsibility of the administrator adopt this program (Wright, 1997).
The acceptability of these community based organizations by the society is in itself a big boost. The resistance of these changes by the community can spell doom to a growing organization, but here the idea has already gained a considerable momentum. This signifies a big opportunity (Johnson&Trausdottir, 2002).
Since the organization does not admit in patients it is important to appreciate this fact as it gets the opportunity to save a lot of costs. These funds could either be used for expansion or other future investments. This is contrary to the situation in the public health organizations sector (Kelley& Johnson, 2007).
The organization has the ability to train its staff and modify their perception about public health and to focus on community development programs. This will make them to be more innovative and ever ambitious (Fakhourya & Priebea, 2007).
Threats
The biggest threat that these organizations are susceptible to is competition. There is normally a lot of pressure from big organization in the public sector. Community based in patient hospitals are perceived as cheap but people question about their experience in the industry and some cases they have been regarded as substandard. (Johnson&Trausdottir, 2002)Politics also play a crucial role here; others will say they are illegal while other will say that they are actually violating certain specific statutes. This will contribute to bad public perception and mistrust. Since they may not be able to employ qualified staff mistakes will be common. Where this becomes the case penalties are stiff and may affect the activities in the organization. (Wright, 1997)
The SWOT Analysis
Conclusion
Deinstitutionalization has become a common trend in the public sector. In fact with the current credit crunch, people are looking for cost effective avenues where they can be able to derive maximum gains. Systems and programs which are perceived to be ineffective are discarded completely. How ever when making important decisions care must be taken to avoid a situation of financial stress being experienced in the future.
References
- Fakhourya, W & Priebea, S. (2007) Deinstitutionalization and reinstitutionalizations: major changes in the provision of mental healthcare. Volume 1 Issue 8.Pages 313-316
- Johnson&Trausdottir (2002) WELLNESS AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE.
- Kelley, Johnson &Rannveig (2007) Deinstitutionalization and People with Intellectual Disabilities.
- Psychology (2009) Psychological Treatment.
- Wright, D. (1997) Getting out of the asylum: understanding the confinement of the insane in the nineteenth century. Social History of medicine. Volume 10(1).pp 137-155.