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What may seem to be a look back into the 1970s and 1980s, a volunteer mental health clinic was set up in Raleigh North Carolina to offer clinical services to the community. The hypothesis of the project, which has now survived 7 years, is "that a high-quality clinic of volunteer staff offering high-quality psychotherapy to motivated people who cannot afford existing resources could be implemented in an environment free of monetary considerations and constraints."
Treatment is free and is provided only to persons who are unable to pay and lack Medicare, Medicaid, or other insurance. The treatment is provided by a therapist-psychiatrist team and is based on an initial evaluation. 'Patients are expected to keep their appointments and to be active and committed. Treatment is goal oriented and time limited. Medications are prescribed only in conjunction with active psychotherapy.'
Volunteers include administrative staff, seven psychiatrists, and 14 therapists, who together contribute 20 to 30 hours for 16 to 22 individuals, couples, or families each Thursday. In most cases we can achieve the goal of helping patients become more self-sufficient through the attainment of employment, benefits, or insurance and linkage with other community resources in the private or public system. Oversight is by a community board.
This is an interesting experiment that has proven its worth and hopefully will be replicated in other areas of the country.
Psychiatric Services 2003 54: 1038-1039 (registered access only)
5:48:42 PM 
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