Legislators' views regarding the privatization of involuntary treatment: Implications for mental health administrators

This article reports on a study of legislative attitudes about privatizing involuntary treatment services (IMHT) For people diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI). The results suggest that party affiliation and attitudes about efficiency of the private sector may have important effects oil legislative attitudes about the propriety of contracting these services to voluntary organizations. Attitudes about effectiveness of private treatment facilities had little independent effect. This has ramifications for (1) government sector administrators who currently manage IMHT services, (2) voluntary sector administrators interested in positioning their organizations to he able to receive contracts to provide IMHT set-vices and (3) leaders of consumer advocacy organizations that have a vested stake in the provision of mental health set-vices for themselves and their loved ones. Implications for each group are discussed.