 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Paula N. Goering, RN, PhD1, Janet Durbin, MSc2, Christina Tess Sheldon, MSc2, Joanna Ochocka, PHD3, Geoffrey Nelson, PhD4, and Terry Krupa, PhD5. (1) Health Systems Research and Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St., Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada, (416) 979-6844, paula_goering@camh.net, (2) Health Systems Research and Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, 33 Russell St., Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada, (3) Centre for Research and Education in Human Services, 73 King St. W., Suite 202, Kitchener, ON N2G 1A7, Canada, (4) Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, N2075F, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada, (5) School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, Louise D. Acton Building, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
This paper uses information from a multi-site evaluation of community mental health services to answer these two questions: 1) How do diagnosis, functioning and self-assessments of Consumer / Survivor Initiative (CSI) and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) participants compare? 2) What other supports/services are CSI and ACT participants using? The sample is drawn from an evaluation examining the effect of participation in consumer/survivor peer initiatives in four communities in Central West Ontario (n=85). As a reference group, we can compare new (n=48) and ongoing (n=133) clients of four assertive community treatment teams in Central East Ontario. While the groups overlap in their illness profile, there are several significant differences in both psychiatric and physical illness diagnoses. Findings are mixed with regard to functioning, with self-help users twice as likely to be employed (either full or part-time) in the last nine months than new or ongoing ACT users. Housing instability, use of emergency rooms and self-reported distress are higher amongst self-help users. Self-help is reaching a broader population of individuals that includes a significant subgroup of the severely mentally ill along with others who evidence a mixed picture of higher functioning and greater instability. There is little overlap in the use of these modes of service delivery which suggests that maintaining options within systems of care may be critical to ensuring coverage and access for the broader population.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Community-Based Health Care, Mental Health
Related Web page: www.ontario.cmha.ca/content/information_and_links/cmhei/index.html
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.