Consumer-Delivered Services as a Best Practice in Mental Health Care Delivery and The Development of Practice Guidelines

Abstract

Abstract Consumer-delivered services are receiving increasing attention as an important addition to the continuum of services available to people with a mental illness. This article provides a review of the theoretical and empirical evidence in support of consumer-delivered services as a best practice in mental health service delivery. This is followed by the presentation of proposed guidelines for delivering these types of services that is based on the current literature and the consensus of program directors from the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, an agency that administers a number of consumer-delivered service programs. These guidelines are intended to assist in the adoption, development, and operation of consumer-delivered services and to aid policymakers and providers in their funding and referral decisions.