View: ATTENTION CONSUMER-OPERATED PROGRAMS!

Date: 04-06-2007
Issues: Peer Support
Link: [none]

The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse, with funding and technical assistance from the National Research and Training Center on Psychiatric Disability at the University of Illinois at Chicago and in association with the UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration, is seeking consumer-operated services programs (COSPs) that are interested in augmenting their internal evaluation and program planning capacity.

Peer-run programs in operation longer than two years that meet both of the following criteria are invited to apply for no/low-cost training and consultation in conducting program evaluations to aid in the development of evidence-based practices in support of the COSP purpose: (1) program administration and primary activities are independent of provider organizations, and (2) consumers control its board of directors, staff, and budget (Clay, 2005)*

* Sally Clay, On Our Own, Together: Peer Programs for People with Mental Illness, ed. Sally Clay (Vanderbilt University Press, 2005), p.9

Consumer-operated programs that have available resources and the time to devote to engaging in evidence-based evaluations may apply for one of the following types of assistance:

1. Brief technical assistance: Programs already engaging in evidence-based evaluations may request limited (1-2) phone consultations to assist in moving their evaluation and evidence-building efforts forward.

2. Intensive focused consultation: Individual programs may apply for help in designing and implementing an evaluation plan to document the ways in which their program improves outcomes for service recipients.

3. Less intensive multi-program training and limited consultation: Regional provider groups or coalitions may request group assistance intended to teach service providers how and why to conduct program evaluations.

Consultations will include assistance with the following and more:
• Articulate program mission and activities
• Categorize expected and actual program outcomes and outputs
• Identify outcome indicators
• Find appropriate evaluation measures and methodologies
• Acquire techniques for collecting, managing, analyzing and interpreting data
• Develop strategies for presenting evaluation results


Application review and program selection will begin in May 2007. We will continue to accept applications over the next 12 months. Programs selected for consultation will be notified within two months of receipt of application.

Our expectations of the programs selected for training and technical assistance include a high level of commitment, responsiveness, strong follow-through, and the ability and willingness to maintain contact with us after the evaluation is completed.

In your proposal, please provide the following information about your program:
• Program name
• Type of program
• Services provided
• Location(s) of operation
• Years in operation
• Percentage of consumers serving on your board of directors
• Percentage of your program staff who are consumers
• Percentage of your program staff who are paid
• Percentage of your program staff who are volunteers
• Program budget
• The level of consultation you would like to receive (Brief, Intensive, Less Intensive)

Most important, please tell us why your program is unique and should be replicated to become a model for other consumer-operated service providers. Also, please offer substantiation of your program’s level of commitment and preparedness to engage in program evaluation, such as available resources, personnel, and a description of any existing program data. Please limit this narrative portion of your application to 5-6 pages, and addendums and attachments to 5 pages.

Applications, in 12-point type, must include a cover page with the following information:
• Program name
• Contact person
• Mailing address
• Phone number
• E-mail address and URL (if applicable)

Applications may be sent by U.S. mail, or electronically as an attachment in MS Word or as a PDF, to:

Debbie Plotnick. MSS, MLSP, LSW
National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse
1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19107
dplotnick@mhasp.org


Questions may be directed to Debbie Plotnick by e-mail or by calling 800-553-4539, extension 344.

Disclaimer: Given limited resources, we may not be able to meet all requests for consultation.