AbstractThe reasons for the problems created by deinstitutionalization have only recently become clear; these include a lack of consensus about the movement, no real testing of its philosophic bases, the lack of planning for alternative facilities and services (especially for a population with notable social and cognitive deficits), and the inadequacies of the mental health delivery system in general. The author proposes a set of ten commandments, or basic rules, to guide future deinstitutionalization activities.