Mobile Psych Rehab–Cost and Patient Effective

Pete Linnett, the founder of Life Adjustment Team (LAT) in Culver City, California is an expert in psychiatric care; he states that “Mental illness affects 25% of the population in one form or another.” These individuals are members of family and society. Their illnesses affect those around them. Linnett adds, “We have to figure just about everybody is impacted by mental illness or addiction,

either their own or someone they love.”

Most people do not get help. The reason in part–there is a stigma surrounding mental illness; substance abuse, less so. Pete Linnett comments, “Often in our field people are treated for their illness, but the whole person is not cared for, in fact it is the opposite, such as describing someone with schizophrenia as a ‘schizophrenic.’ This fuels stigma and keeps people in need from seeking help, until things get out of control.”

Pete Linnett knows what works for the mentally ill –keeping them well, in their homes and out of the hospitals while keeping costs down.

As Founder and CEO, Pete Linnett developed the Life Adjustment Team (LAT) which implements state-of-the-art comprehensive outpatient psychiatric rehabilitation and substance abuse treatment using evidence-based best practices in 1977. Their success rate is the highest in the country—95%.

Contracting with 21 regional centers in California, their case managers go out into the community, to clients’ homes. There, in real-life settings they work with clients on safety issues, keeping them stable through relationships, and helping fill the cracks where otherwise clients would have fallen through, and needed to either return to a hospital or be on the street. This is a relapse stop, mobile outpatient psychiatric program. The LAT motto is this: “Today recovery from mental illness is a well-documented reality.”

(In 1988, Linnett was hired by the UCLA Research Center for Schizophrenia and Psychiatric Rehabilitation, for a project to field test protocols of outpatient services delivery systems and in vivo skills training.)

Pete Linnett: “At LAT, we are more interested in supporting a person through whatever challenge they have. So other than somebody being dangerous to others or possibly at risk themselves, our team provides the structure, support and stability through relationships based on professionalism, trust and personalized one-to-one contact wherever needed. People experience their problems when dealing with life in the community, that’s where not only the support is needed but the real teaching, mentoring and coaching happen.”

Someone with mental illness does not ALWAYS realize that he has this problem. Prevention of a relapse requires early detection and intervention. LAT teaches clients about their prodromal warning signs, which are the very first signals that symptoms are starting to reappear.

Using a mobile outpatient psychiatric rehab is cost effective. They “have been proven to decrease the need for hospitalization,” thereby freeing up hospital beds. Hospitalization costs are minimized.

Life Adjustment Team boasts more than a 35-year track record. Pete Linnett has a plan to take his program to every major city in the United States.

Each year the team of two Ph.Ds, a licensed clinical supervisor, and 12 case managers see approximately 200 clients and their families.

As a national model, Pete Linnett has shown that this system will work:

“The focus over the last few years has been to develop a duplicable model consisting of a 12 case manager team with three supervisors. A program director oversees all operations with an intake director, family education specialist, and a clinical supervisor overseeing staff. This is supported by three to four administrative people. All of our administrative and clinical procedures as well as training programs have been developed for production to open centers in other cities.”

Repeated unnecessary hospitalizations are taxing financially. Pete Linnett says that with his program there is a significant reduction in the need for re-hospitalization. Insurance companies now recognize the value of his program and hospitals frequently refer patients to LAT. Once stabilized, LAT focuses on real issues of life. Clients receive their drivers’ licenses, gain employment and become active and vital parts of their communities. In essence, they contribute to society rather than repeatedly drain resources. Pete Linnett adds this, “All concerned parties are looking for better outcomes, both insurance companies and treatment providers are looking for community-based sub-acute care that could take best serve all but the most dangerous situations.”

For more information on Life Adjustment Team, contact Pete Linnett at [email protected] or find him online at lifeadjustmentteam.com

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