There are many possible ways to use this case study including: for research, in the classroom, in an open forum.  Following is some beginning but not definitive guidance on how the case study might be used in the classroom between and among students and teachers.

There are at least 4 and probably more possible goals for teachers of this case study.

1. Educate students about this episode in American history.
2. Provide insight as to how a social movement began as well as progressed and digressed.
3. Provide first hand impressions about the successes and failures of the federal government, hospitals and nonprofit advocacy organizations to improve care for persons with mental illness.
4. Help anyone who is interested in government, public policy formation, politics, social movements, nonprofit advocacy, health care and social work to come to better understand this critical period in the history of mental illness, homelessness, and the great society.

One possible way for teachers to integrate this case study into their syllabus is to assign the case as a reading assignment.  Then with approximately 30-90 minutes a teacher may use the Key Questions and Answers to facilitate discussion and learning among students.  Courses with less time to spend might want to use the questions in order.  Courses with a little more time might want to consider dividing up the class into several groups including NIMH, Nonprofit Mental Health Advocacy Groups, Hospitals, Persons with Mental Illness in Hospitals, and attempt to tackle in a hypothetical situation, some of the same issues faced by the real life people interviewed in the case study.  For assistance on this, please contact the author at absmucker@cox.net .