Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Unfavorable discrete tax items		$ 4,000,000
Charge incurred from life insurance agreements		9,000,000
Favorable discrete tax items	1,000,000	4,000,000
Future taxable income, amount	881,000,000
Deferred state tax benefit (net of the federal benefit)	5,800,000	1,704,000	2,177,000
Net operating losses	52,506,000	46,338,000
Deferred federal and state tax benefit	25,000,000	51,000,000
Valuation allowances	39,000,000	28,000,000
Increase in estimated liabilities for uncertain tax positions due to tax positions taken in current years	750,000	1,219,000	750,000
Increase in estimated liabilities for uncertain tax positions due to tax positions taken in the prior years	419,000	2,076,000	1,245,000
Decrease in estimated liabilities for uncertain tax positions due to the lapse of the statute of limitations	2,000,000
Impact of unrecognized tax benefits, if recognized	5,000,000	5,000,000
Accrued interest and penalties	1,000,000	1,000,000
Period of expiration of the statute of limitations for certain jurisdictions	within the next twelve months
Increase in estimated liabilities for uncertain tax positions	1,000,000	3,000,000
Minimum [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Foreign and U.S. state and local jurisdictions have statutes of limitations, in years	3
Maximum [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Foreign and U.S. state and local jurisdictions have statutes of limitations, in years	4
Net Operating Losses [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Increase in valuation allowance	11,000,000
Foreign Net Operating Losses [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Increase in valuation allowance	3,000,000	4,000,000
State [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Deferred state tax benefit (net of the federal benefit)	44,000,000
State [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards expiration date	2012
State [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards expiration date	2031
Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Unfavorable discrete tax items		5,000,000
Deferred federal tax benefits	1,000,000
Deferred foreign tax benefit	3,000,000
Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. [Member] | Federal [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards expiration date	2022
Net operating losses	2,000,000
Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. [Member] | Foreign [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards expiration date	2021
Net operating losses	$ 8,000,000