Deinstitutionalization proved to be a cure worse than the disease. At least five books have been published in the past three years detailing its tragic consequences. Seymour Sarason of Yale University, one of the leaders of the deinstitutionalization movement in the U.S., describes these efforts in his recent autobiography, The Making of an American Psychologist. He concludes that the most serious professional mistake of his life was his advocacy of deinstitutionalization. If abuse and neglect are going to occur, they can occur far more easily and more secretly in small group homes in the community than they can in a major institution with many other people present.
Group homes can come and go very rapidly.
Some last many years, others last only months. We just have too many apples this year. Many group homes in the U.S. are located in places that would be better described as urban jungles than communities. I am aware of group homes in areas that are so dangerous that the social workers will visit them only in pairs on those rare occasions when there is any supervision at all. I am aware of institutions where real community, caring people, long term relationships exist in abundance.