What is it about?
Self-direction is emerging as a promising model of service delivery for people with serious mental health conditions, and one that aligns with the federal focus on individualized, person-driven care to effect recovery. Under the model, individuals who use publicly funded mental-health services, and who have an interest in selecting their recovery supports, develop a person-centered plan and make use of a flexible budget to purchase goods and services to meet their long-term health and wellness goals. But what impact will self-direction have on the mental health system in general, and how do state and county program directors view it? We conducted an exploratory survey (n = 46) and interviews (n = 17) with program directors to find out.
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Why is it important?
Self-direction marks a paradigm shift from existing service system arrangements, shifting control over public resources to individual participants rather than just reimbursing traditional providers for services they render. Mental health program directors hold a pivotal role in self-direction’s adoption and implementation, so we wanted to gauge their interest and understand their views on this emerging practice.
Perspectives
Adoption and successful implementation of self-direction appears to hinge on several important facilitators. First, findings suggest self-direction is most likely to take root in a system that is sufficiently recovery-oriented—with a well-developed peer support workforce and a robust network of community-based supports for housing, employment, and community inclusion. Strong leadership—particularly among policymakers, advocates, and administrators who can act as change agents for self-direction—is also important. Clear and actionable implementation guidance is critical. Finally, effective communication of outcomes research paired with personal stories that bring data to life will promote the adoption and ongoing support for mental health self-direction.
Bevin Croft
Human Services Research Institute
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Mental health leadership perspectives on self-direction, Social Work in Mental Health, November 2017, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/15332985.2017.1395783.
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