Shifting The Paradigm In Community Mental Health

Examines changes in the values and practices within community mental health that occurred between 1984 and 1998 in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. A valuable guide for future research, and for consumers and administrators in the mental health field.

Examines changes in the values and practices within community mental health that occurred between 1984 and 1998 in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. A valuable guide for future research, and for consumers and administrators in the mental health field.

Housing has emerged as a popular and central topic of research, mental health system development, and social and mental health policy in recent years. The field has rapidly evolved in a number of ways: first, with the introduction and popularization of the Housing First approach; second, there are now a growing number of randomized controlled studies to evaluate the lives of people living in this housing; and third, there is increasing recognition of housing as a cornerstone of mental health policy and community mental health systems. Housing, Citizenship, and Communities for People with Serious Mental Illness provides the first comprehensive overview of the field. The book covers theory, research, practice, and policy issues related to the provision of housing and the supports that people rely on to get and keep their housing. A special focus is given to issues of citizenship and community life as key outcomes for people with serious mental illness who live in community housing. The book is grounded in the values, research traditions, and conceptual tools of community psychology. This provides a unique lens through which to view the field. It emphasizes housing not only as a component of community mental health systems but also as an instrument for promoting citizenship, social inclusion, social justice, and the empowerment of marginalized people. It serves as a resource for researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers looking for up-to-date reviews and perspectives on this field, as well as a sourcebook for current and future research and practice trends.

Provides empirical justification and a conceptual foundation for transformative change in mental health, based on community psychology values and principles of ecology, collaboration, empowerment and social justice.

Building on earlier patient-empowerment movements, consumer- and advocate-driven mental health self-help (MHSH) initiatives currently outnumber traditional mental health organizations. At the same time, this apparent success raises significant questions about their short-term efficacy and their value to lasting recovery. Mental Health Self-Help assembles the state of the evidence on the effectiveness of MHSH, beginning with the individual and larger social factors behind the expansion of consumer-directed services. Clearly organized and accessibly written, the book traces the development and evolution of MHSH as both alternative and adjunct to traditional mental health structures, offers research-based perspectives on the various forms of MHSH, and identifies potential areas for consumer initiatives to work with—and help improve—mental health systems. Contributors weigh strengths and limitations, raise research and methodology questions, and discuss funding and training issues to give readers a deeper understanding of the field and an informed look at its future impact on mental health treatment. Individual chapters cover the spectrum of contemporary self-help initiatives in mental health, including: • Online mutual aid groups. • Consumer-run drop-in centers. • Family and caregiver groups. • Certified peer support specialists. • Consumer advocacy initiatives. • Technical assistance organizations. • Professional/self-help collaborations. Mental Health Self-Help is a bedrock guide to an increasingly influential aspect of the mental health landscape. Researchers studying these initiatives from a variety of fields including community and clinical psychology, and public health—as well as clinicians, counselors, social workers, case managers, and policymakers—will find it an indispensable reference.

Mental health practices and programs around the world face growing criticism from policymakers, consumers, and service providers for being ineffective, overly reliant on treatment by professionals, and overly focused on symptoms. Many have called for new paradigms of mental health and new practices that can better support recovery, community integration, and adaptive functioning for persons diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities. While there has recently been much discourse about transformation and recovery, there has yet to be a critical and systematic review that unpacks the concept of mental health systems transformation or that examines strategies for how to create transformative change in mental health. Community Psychology and Community Mental Health provides empirical justification and a conceptual foundation for transformative change in mental health, based on community psychology values and principles of ecology, collaboration, empowerment, and social justice. Chapters provide strategies for making changes at the level of society, policy, organizations, community settings, and mental health practices. The editors and authors draw from experience in different countries in recognition of the need to tailor change strategies to different contexts. The common experiences of the international perspectives represented underscore the importance and the need for a new paradigm while demonstrating that there are many alternatives and opportunities for pursuing transformative change. This book will be of interest to community mental health professionals, researchers, and students, as well as policymakers, administrators, and those with lived experience of mental health issues.

"This eye-opening book explores the need for, and how to successfully organize, community mental health teams that provide in-home care and treatment for people experiencing mental health difficulties, particularly those suffering with psychosis. With an emphasis on community-based care and democratic psychiatry, the book presents two paradigm shifts necessary to bring mental healthcare directly into the community. The first is shifting perceptions from thinking of patients to recognizing those in need of care as members of the public moving away from a biomedical diagnostic approach. The second shift is the provision of support for the community environment, its families, friends, and neighbours to pave the way for hospitableness towards people with mental health issues in a way that encourages compassion, empathy, and a respect for differences. Through clinical case material, anthropological and phenomenological methods, and personal experience in community-based care, Peter Dierinck presents new models for sheltered housing and innovative ways for struggling individuals to secure paid work within a community system. Community-based Mental Healthcare for Psychosis is important reading for psychiatric professionals, clinicians, social workers, caregivers, and all mental health professionals looking after psychiatric patients with complex care needs"--