In: Nursing
The role of the Federal Government in assisting the "tens of millions" of citizens who present mental health issues revolves around the Federal Community Mental Health Act, the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid for paying for hospital services and some community services. There has been a widespread use of anti-psychotic and anti-manic medications due to which some of the most disturbing and disruptive symptoms are brought under control. The US Department of Justice (DOJ), based on the decisions driven by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and a Federal legal decision (Olmstead vs.LC, 1999) ensures that people should not be confined to settings that restrict their freedoms, which happens in mentally ill patients. DOJ has demanded a re-engineering of the services to ensure that such individuals live in less restrictive settings, for their thriving, in community settings where they can be the masters of their own lives.