Involving former patients,relatives, and community mental health professionals in the administration of a state hospital

This article describes the Western State Hospital Community Interface Panel, an administrative advisory pannel composed of former patients, relatives of patients, and community mental health professionals. The purposes served by this panel are to increase administrative lines of communication with those persons who are most capable of providing appropriate feedback on inpatient programs, share viewpoints on legislative and state policy issue, and work toward enhancing the general community hospital collaboration characterized as a “single system of care.” DAVID J. RISSMEYER, A.C.S.W., is the social work director at Western State Hospital, Staunton, Virginia. He also serves as the president of the Virginia chapter of the International Association of Psychosocial Rehabillitation Services.