Mental Health Consumers Invited to Meet and Discuss Research Priorities

BOSTON — Consumer Quality Initiatives, Inc. (CQI), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH), is inviting mental health consumers to discuss what they see as the mental health research priorities in Massachusetts in forums planned across the state.

“We are pleased to partner with CQI to hold forums that involve consumers and stakeholders in the Department’s research mission,” said Department of Mental Health Commissioner Barbara A. Leadholm, M.S., M.B.A. “It is vital for consumers to participate in the development of the DMH research agenda, and that includes deciding what topics or issues are important to study.”

According to CQI Executive Director Jonathan Delman, MPH, JD, focus groups will discuss the issues faced by people with mental health and substance abuse needs and how these issues might become research topics that could be studied by mental health research groups and translated into best practices and treatments.

Plans call for three focus groups for adults, one for young adults and one for family members of child/adolescent consumers, each consisting of 20 participants. Interested mental health consumers are encouraged to sign up soon by contacting Melissa Goodman at 617-427-0505; 866-895-4400; or email MGoodman@cqi-mass.org.

Consumer Research Forum Locations, Dates and Times

Western Massachusetts — Monday, Feb. 2, 4:30 p.m., Western Mass. Recovery Learning Community, The Consortium, 187 High St., Suite 303, Holyoke, 866-641-2853

Forum for family members of child/adolescent consumers — Monday, Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m., Wayside, Inc., 75 Fountain St., Framingham

Eastern Massachusetts — Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2:30 p.m., Transformation Center, 98 Magazine St., Roxbury, 617-442-4111

Central Massachusetts — Monday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m., Central Mass. Recovery Learning Community, 91 Stafford St., Worcester, 508-751-9600

Forum for young adults — Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2 p.m., Westborough State Hospital (room TBD), 288 Lyman St., Westborough, 508-616-2100

The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health is one of the 17 state agencies that comprise the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. DMH provides services to adults, children and adolescents with long-term or serious mental illness and serious emotional disturbance; provides early and ongoing treatment for mental illness; and conducts research into the causes of and treatments for mental illness. Through state operated inpatient facilities and community mental health centers and through community services and programs provided by nearly 200 mental health providers, DMH directly serves 21,000 citizens, including about 3,500 children and adolescents, with severe and persistent mental illness and serious emotional disturbance.

Consumer Quality Initiatives is a mental health consumer-operated research, evaluation and quality improvement organization based in Massachusetts. CQI conducts personal interviews and focus groups with people with disabilities and/or their family members using semi-structured surveys and interview guides, leading to in-depth data-driven reports. CQI utilizes a Community-based Participatory Action Research framework, with an emphasis on protocols that are designed to impact policy and practice directly. CQI also consults locally and nationally on achieving significant involvement of consumers in the process to promote mental health systems transformation and quality improvement.

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