Go to the American Psychiatric Association and research fact sheets pertaining to various diagnoses in the DSM-5.

Conduct an Internet search on PTSD in veterans of the wars in the Middle East and previous wars, including causes for PTSD, high suicide rates of veterans, and treatments that are being applied by Veterans Affairs programs. Note differences in PTSD by gender, in that many of the women have been sexually assaulted by their fellow soldiers.

Conduct an Internet search on mental health courts, drug courts, and veterans’ courts to learn the similarities and differences and how these developments are keeping persons with mental illness out of prison.

Research projects for chronically homeless persons with severe mental illness at Downtown Emergency Services Center (DESC). Report on some of the personal stories of service users who have benefited from the program and supportive housing. Note that DESC is controversial in providing housing to people who have severe substance use disorders without requiring total abstinence. Check out the empirically based research studies on DESC’s website related to the cost-effectiveness of this harm-reduction strategy.