For many years, both consumers and providers in Larimer County, Colorado (220,000 pop.) expressed frustration with the local mental health system, without much resolution of the problems. Service providers planned their services in isolation from each other, and coordination was more the exception than the rule. This session will examine the process that moved the community from frustration to action - a community working together to develop a coordinated mental health system responsive to the needs of consumers, schools, and the justice system, as well as providers. In Colorado, communities have no mandate to do comprehensive community mental health planning across sectors, and no models of such planning were found. In 1999, the CEOs of every major mental health and substance abuse organization, along with key consumer/consumer advocates, made the commitment to become personally engaged in this process. In 2000, an intense examination of the community's mental health "system" culminated in a report detailing the current status and challenges in providing adequate services. Included in the study were local, state, and national trends; community perceptions of needed changes, gathered from 241 people contacted in interviews, discussions groups, and a public forum; profiles of every service organization; funding sources and totals; and case example learnings. Upon publication of the report, the CEOs committed to a two-year pilot to establish an ongoing network of providers and consumers charged with creating changes in local mental health and substance abuse services. The session will discuss both the challenges encountered and the accomplishments achieved.
Learning Objectives: 1. Discuss several factors which contribute to the successful organization of a community-based effort to improve a local mental health system 2. Describe useful components of an assessment reporting the "current status and challenges facing local mental health services" 3. List several trends that help communities begin to understand the forces impacting mental health services and move away from blaming each other
Keywords: Mental Health System, Community-Based Partnership
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Felix, Burdine & Associates
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.