Consumer/Survivor-Operated Self-Help Programs: A Technical Report

Introduction

The mental health consumer/survivor self-help movement has experienced remarkable growth over the last two decades. The impact of this movement on mental health systems nationwide has been dramatic. No longer are people who use these services seen simply as passive recipients but as active participants at all levels in planning, providing, and evaluating services.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) has played a key role in supporting these important developments. Beginning in the early 1980s, the Community Support Program (CSP), which is located within CMHS/SAMHSA, initiated various technical assistance activities to promote self-help, peer sup-port, and client-directed approaches.

In 1988, CSP issued a new grant program to demonstrate and evaluate services run by and for individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Fourteen projects were awarded funding for over $1.2 mil-lion, the first such projects to be supported by a Federal agency.

This document is a retrospective review of the mental health consumer/survivor self-help move-ment and, specifically, the findings and recommendations from these innovative demonstration projects. Consumer/Survivor-Operated Self-help Programs, is the first comprehensive documenta-tion of the experiences of consumers/survivors in designing and operating their own self-help pro-grams. The lessons from these past efforts are invaluable in assisting us to improve mental health services today and in the future.

Joseph Autry III, M.D.	Bernard S. Arons, M.D.
Acting Administrator	Director
Substance Abuse & Mental Health	Center for Mental Health Studies
Services Administration	Substance Abuse and Mental Health
	Services Administration

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