Step to the front of the bus: Prepaid transportation as a means of insuring treatment compliance in persons who are chronically mentally ill.

Abstract

Two community care system programs, one based in a hospital and the other in the community, each providing structured bus service to insure that patients who are chronically mentally ill attend their day treatment programs, are described. One program was planned from its inception to include busing as a therapeutic tool to help patients in their attendance in a social skills workshop. The second initiated busing to increase daily attendance for noncompliant patients attending a day treatment center. Costs for the busing programs were offset by fee for services. Clinical benefits to patients are discussed. The importance of aggressive but nonintrusive community support programs is highlighted.