Background
Mental Health Reform
Community Advisory Bodies
Peer Support Specialists
Methods
Participants and Data Collection
Measurement Scale Development
Survey Development
Scale Validity
Data Analysis
Results
Community Advisory Bodies
Categories and Sub-categories | Number of Comments (% of total) | Selected Sample Comments (R = Respondent Id. No.) |
---|---|---|
External Issues:
• Lack of support from sponsoring agency • Rely on external organization to meet standard | 64 (39%) | • Support from the sponsoring agency is required.(R14) • We need direction from the (sponsoring) agency to say we have to have one. Don't have one that's necessarily specific to the program.(R32) • There was a community advisory body, and that has been disbanded. Sponsoring agency is transitioning and the community advisory is falling to the wayside.(R45) • Host organization has a number of advisory bodies who all function in an advisory capacity for mental health services ... didn't create another just for ACT.(R60) • There have to be ways to meet the standards and there needs to be funding... we are losing our ability to do the rehab portion.(R30) • Advisory Board meets irregularly... lack of direction and goals.(R49) |
Standard Related issues:
• Standard is not a top priority • Standard is unnecessary or unimportant • Standard should be modified | 48 (29%) | • The community advisory board was disbanded.(R1) • Hospital has one, not specific to ACT. I don't think we need one.(R17) • We have a committee... it is the bane of my existence. We struggled with their mandate... role of sharing information between teams... three teams share one advisory committee. It doesn't work.(RT52) • The standard is written for small community agencies, not large corporate hospitals.(R27) • The body became the Mental Health Advocacy Committee from the Consumer Advocacy Committee... not sure if it fits the mandate.(R16) |
Organizational Issues:
• Process issues • Structural issues • Lack of motivation • Issues with unions | 42 (25%) | • Persons on community advisory boards are not permanent. Within a year they are off and doing something else.(R4) • Our community advisory group does not report to our hospital board but they are in communication with the Ministry of Health.(R64) • Advisory body meets irregularly...lack of direction and goals. Being reviewed and reassessed.(R49) • Not getting around to it.(R58) • There is no way my Community Advisory Body has the ear of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is not interested in that micro-level. They are more concerned with building million dollar wings. The Community Advisory Body sees the goals of the budget, but not the details. They don't have the authority to promote fidelity to the model. They're involved with advocacy issues.(R27) • Problems with quorum...lack of clear roles and responsibility for Advisory Board.(R42) |
Other Issues;
• Client related, • Human resources • Communications | 11 (7%) | • Advisory body in place...information is not provided for which they could provide full advisory function. (R47) • Commitment required from staff to meet the standards. Need to look at teams, geography, and what they are doing. Some clients don't want to be seen as often or be involved in planning.(R36) |
TOTAL | 165 (100%) |
Peer Support
Categories and Sub-categories | Number of Comments (% of total) | Selected Sample Comments (R = Respondent Id. No.) |
---|---|---|
Human Resource Issues:
• Staff shortages (recruiting difficulties, maternity leave, illness) • Staff training required | 35 (48%) | • Peer support worker requires clear job description and adapted (role). Should be a mental health worker first and a peer specialist second. If they are going to carry primes, they need to have the skills. It doesn't work if skills are less.(R20) • A peer is someone who once met the admission criteria, lived the experience, and who can also function in a meaningful way... difficult to find.(R61) • Having trouble recruiting the position.(R4) • Seems to take a long time for a peer support worker to get into the role. They don't go to school for the peer support role--once they get there it is fabulous.(R41) • [Our] peer support specialist is on sick leave for approximately one year.(R49) |
Standard Related Issues:
• Standard deemed unattainable/unrealistic/unnecessary/unimportant • Standard needs improvement/modification • Standard requires clarification (or not aware of standard) | 21 (29%) | • The definition of a peer was stretched a little bit... [Our] peer doesn't have a major mental illness.(R30) • The peer support specialist is excellent ... just ill enough to be a peer support. Need to back up and support if the peer support needs time off. Question whether there should be a different standard... from general to evaluation. The work that this person does is a "10"... contributes a lot... does leisure and recreation.(R31) • Lack of clarity of the role... what added value does it bring?(R60) • Peer support is only .7 FTE ... cannot take a full patient load. Full caseload is not possible.(R46) |
Organizational Issues:
• Structural barriers, e.g. problems with ODSP* and/or unions • Standard implementation is a "work in progress" • Process barriers *Ontario Disability Support Program | 17 (23%) | • The intention is to have a peer specialist... we are resolving union issues.(R23) • We had a peer support working in the past (for about a year and a half) but no longer have the position due to demands of supervising this person and union dispute over the classification of the job. (e.g., which bargaining unit should it fall under? But we do acknowledge that the position is needed.(R8) • Probably other teams hire from a different mental health population.(R61) • We don't have the position in a formal way. Will recruit ... once a position is freed up. This is a new standard.(R19) |
TOTAL | 73 (100%) |
Compliance: Peer Support Specialist | Compliance: Community Advisory Body | Importance: Peer Support Specialist | Importance: Community Advisory Body | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Compliance: Peer Support Specialist
| 1 | .346* | .596** | .323* |
Compliance: Community Advisory Body
| .346* | 1 | .355* | .453** |
Importance: Peer Support Specialist
| .596** | .355* | 1 | .566* |
Importance: Community Advisory Body
| .323* | .453** | .556** | 1 |