Articles for the Topic "Consumer Involvement"

A House is Not Enough: The Case for Involving Consumers in the Journey of Recovery

2008-07-12T04:47:31

For some people, the support of peers is central to a making a successful transition from shelters and the streets to a home. For others, it remains a missing piece.

A National Survey of "Consumer Empowerment" at the State Level

2007-08-06T01:17:37

OBJECTIVE: A national survey was conducted to determine the extent of consumer empowerment in the public mental health system. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to mental health authorities in all U.S. states and territories asking whether consumer empowerment or responsibility was defined in statutes, regulations, or policies and whether consumers or family members were employed in central or field offices of the authority. A rating scale measured the extent of consumer empowerment, and correlations were examined between this rating and other variables. RESULTS: The survey achieved a 100 percent response rate. Twenty-two states (39 percent) addressed consumer empowerment and 16 (28 percent) consumer responsibility in a statute, regulation, or policy. Twenty-seven states (48 percent) had paid positions for consumers in central offices, and three (5 percent) had such positions for family members. Half the states had paid positions for consumers in field offices, and 12 states (24 percent) had such positions for family members. The extent of a state's consumer empowerment had no relationship to region of the country or the state's mental health budget. A significant positive relationship was found between extent of empowerment and the size of the state's population and the quality of its mental health services. CONCLUSIONS: State mental health authorities vary widely in their direct involvement with consumer empowerment. Results indicate that mental health authorities need to make a greater commitment to the achievement of such empowerment if it is to become a meaningful part of government involvement with mental health services. (Authors)

Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation

2008-07-10T05:42:39

The Center is a research, training, and service organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons who have psychiatric disabilities. Our work is guided by the most basic of rehabilitation values, that first and foremost, persons with psychiatric disabilities have the same goals and dreams as any other person. Our mission is to increase the likelihood that they can achieve these goals by improving the effectiveness of people, programs, and service systems. (Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation)

Consumer Integration Assessment Guide

2008-07-12T05:13:58

When agencies involve people with experience of homelessness, they affirm the positive contributions that they can make to the field. Consumers act as recovery ambassadors to the community, conveying messages affirming hope and the possibility of having a rich, fulfilling life that extends way beyond survival, “symptom management,” and maintenance. This assessment guide is designed to raise awareness regarding the level of consumer integration within an organization.

Consumer Practitioners in PATH-funded Programs: Report of the Consumer Involvement Workgroup

2007-03-28T01:55:19

Each State or Territory that receives Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) funds has a State PATH Contact who provides oversight to the program's local implementation. Among other activities, State PATH Contacts identify topics that are of special interest to the PATH program and select workgroups to study these topics in depth. In early 2003, the PATH Consumer Involvement Workgroup, under the leadership of Charles Bliss of Georgia's Division of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Addictive Diseases, began meeting to gather and develop: Data and information on what States are currently doing to employ consumers in PATH programs; A description of PATH programs that are considered exemplary in this regard; An examination of issues related to consumer employment, including advantages, challenges, and strategies; Reccomendations for employing mental health consumers in PATH programs. (Authors)

Consumers in the Mental Health Workforce: A Handbook for Providers

2009-08-26T03:36:52

Employment is an intricate part of the recovery process and a primary tool for empowering consumers. Providers are employing consumers in greater numbers as a way to improve clinical and business outcomes. To effectively hire and retain consumer employees there are many questions about how to recruit, manage and integrate this staff into your agency.

History, Principles, and Definitions of Consumer-Direction and Self-Determination

2010-07-13T01:20:51

This speech, presented for the National Leadership Summit on Self-Determination and Consumer-Direction and Control in Bethesda, MD on October 21 - 23. 1999, discussed his views on consumer-determination within the psychiatric community.

HRC Webcast Resources: Consumer Integration: Everyone is Talking About It, But How Do We Get It Done? Next Steps to Creating Recovery-Oriented Environments

2009-07-23T10:50:42

This free HRC webcast, which aired on July 23, 2009, highlighted principles of recovery and benefits and common barriers to participation as they relate to consumer integration. The presenters discussed potential roles for people formerly or currently experiencing homelessness.

HRC Webcast Resources: Consumer Integration: Why it Matters, How it Works

2009-07-10T11:32:26

This FREE HRC webcast, which aired on Thursday, July 9, 2009, highlighted principles of recovery, benefits, and common barriers to participation as they relate to consumer integration. The presenters discussed potential roles for people formerly or currently experiencing homelessness. This webcast was Part I of the two part series on consumer integration.

Invisible: Homeless in Sioux Falls

2009-03-06T12:08:35

Children who are homeless face substantial barriers to education. Wendy Giebink, a McKinney-Vento school liaison, ensures that these barriers are minimized as much as possible. For 15 years, she has work to uphold the educational rights of homeless children. This HRC feature highlights Wendy’s work, as well as a brief documentary that she created with her son.

Mental Health Consumer Providers: A Guide for Clinical Staff

2009-08-26T03:15:41

The purpose of this booklet is to provide mental health clinic staff with a brief guide to implementing and sustaining a consumer provider program.

National Empowerment Center

2007-02-14T08:23:33

Recovery is real and this website is filled with practical information that will help you recover if you have been labeled with a mental illness.

Q & A with Consumer Activist Julia Tripp

2008-01-22T06:08:22

“My voice is there to demonstrate that “down and out” is not “over and forgotten.” Check out what consumer activist Julia Tripp has to say about recovery and consumer involvement.

R2P: The Right Thing and the Smart Thing

2009-03-06T03:58:45

Many programs are beginning to recognize the value of consumer integration in research, policy and practice. However, this is still a relatively new concept. What does consumer integration mean? HRC’s Suzanne Zerger offers a summary of a paper on consumer integration that was presented during the 2007 National Research Symposium on Homelessness.

Research Notes: A Look at ACT and Recovery

2008-01-22T06:09:04

As we learn more about the importance of involving consumers in their own treatment, we are also learning how to do it better. A recent journal article looked at the possibility of combining Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) with recovery-oriented treatment, and what this means for program standards.

Research Notes: The Importance of Consumer Choice in Housing

2008-04-07T10:49:34

How important is it to provide choices for consumers during the search for permanent housing? This study explored how choice influences quality of life, satisfaction, length of time in housing and clinical outcomes.

Ten Tips for Involving Consumers as Colleagues in Homelessness Services

2008-01-22T06:08:45

How can your agency successfully integrate consumers as colleagues? Ten tips are described here.