Recovery-oriented Practice Research Articles

Staff experiences related to implementation of a recovery-oriented nursing programme in psychiatric inpatient care.

Nursing in psychiatric inpatient care is peripheral to a dominating biomedical model of care. Efforts are being made to implement nursing models based on core values and theories for nursing, such as recovery‐oriented practices. The aim of the study was to explore experiences of a recovery‐oriented nursing programme (Steps Towards Recovery, STR) among nursing staff in psychiatric inpatient care and their ratings of stress (Maslach Burnout Inventory scores), quality of care (Quality of Psychiatric Care ‐ Inpatient staff scores) and satisfaction with nursing care (Satisfaction with Nursing Care and Work scale scores), before and after the implementation—and compare with ratings from reference wards. A quasi‐experimental and prospective, pretest–post‐test design was used. Specific questions about the nursing programme were answered by staff at the intervention wards. Staff reported predominantly positive experiences of the nursing programme. At follow‐up, higher ratings were reported in two dimensions of quality of care in the STR group, and lower ratings in one dimension of stress were evident in the reference group. No differences in ratings between the STR and reference wards were found. Staff members' positive experiences of STR and higher ratings regarding participation and secure environment after implementation suggest that STR is a well‐accepted and promising nursing programme. It is important to implement and evaluate recovery‐oriented interventions in psychiatric inpatient care, where a focus on symptom relief still prevails. The results indicate that there is potential for further exploration of STR in this context.

Assessing the outcome of admissions: Pilot study in a High Intensity Psychiatric Residential Facility

Background: The Italian health system related to mental disorders is currently experiencing a period of radical reforms. This process began in 1978 with the adoption of the law 180 which produced a radical reform in mental health care. The problems of the continuous confrontation with increasing levels of expenditure are reflected in the search for models to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system. Among these, the value creation model proposes to optimize the relationship between effectiveness, quality, and appropriateness of care on the one hand, and efficiency, cost and how resources are used on the other. The intervention involves redesigning services on the principles of recovery; implementing treatments supported by scientific evidence; encouraging processes of social inclusion. The proposed rehabilitation interventions are recovery oriented that place the person at the center of his rehabilitation path, motivating him in assuming responsibility for the treatment proposed during hospitalization. Objective: Evaluate the impact of the organisational reorganisation of the DSM S.R.R Regional Health Service of Ancona Area Vasta 2 by introducing evidence-based and recovery-oriented practices through the evaluation of clinical outcomes and psychosocial functioning. Methods: Longitudinal descriptive observational study with evaluation of a cohort of 13 patients, hospitalized in residential and semi-residential care at SRP1 “Casa Rossa” Area Vasta 2 of Ancona, by administration of a questionnaire (HoNOS) at the time of recruitment (February 2019), at 6 months (August 2019) and at 12 months (February 2020). The 12 items of the questionnaire were grouped into four subsets: behavioural problems (items 1-3), deficits and disabilities (items 4-5), psychopathological symptoms (items 6-8) and relational/environmental problems (items 9-12). Results: Survey results show a reduction in mean scores at 6 and 12 months compared to baseline in all subscales. Conclusions: Intensive mental health residential facilities need to put more effort into evaluating effectiveness in practice, using appropriate tools for outcome assessment and analysis of results. It is possible, in daily clinical practice, to evaluate the outcome of admissions in order to satisfactorily describe the changes induced during the period of hospitalization.

A pragmatic randomized controlled trial of a group self-management support program versus treatment-as-usual for anxiety disorders: study protocol

BackgroundThe integration of a personal recovery-oriented practice in mental health services is an emerging principle in policy planning. Self-management support (SMS) is an intervention promoting recovery that aims at educating patients on the nature of their mental disorder, improving their strategies to manage their day-to-day symptoms, fostering self-efficacy and empowerment, preventing relapse, and promoting well-being. While SMS is well established for chronic physical conditions, there is a lack of evidence to support the implementation of structured SMS programs for common mental disorders, and particularly for anxiety disorders. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a group-based self-management support program for anxiety disorders as an add-on to treatment-as-usual in community-based care settings.Methods/designWe will conduct a multicentre pragmatic randomized controlled trial with a pre-treatment, post-treatment (4-month post-randomization), and follow-ups at 8, 12 and 24-months.Treatment and control groupsa) group self-management support (10 weekly 2.5-h group web-based sessions with 10–15 patients with two trained facilitators); b) treatment-as-usual. Participants will include adults meeting DSM-5 criteria for Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, and/or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The primary outcome measure will be the Beck Anxiety Inventory; secondary outcome measures will comprise self-reported instruments for anxiety and depressive symptoms, recovery, self-management, quality of life, and service utilisation.Statistical analysisData will be analysed based on intention-to-treat with a mixed effects regression model accounting for between and within-subject variations in the effects of the intervention.DiscussionThis study will contribute to the limited knowledge base regarding the effectiveness of structured group self-management support for anxiety disorders. It is expected that changes in patients’ self-management behaviour will lead to better anxiety management and, consequently, to improved patient outcomes.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05124639. Prospectively registered 18 November 2021.

Performance and effectiveness of step progressive care pathways within mental health supported accommodation services in Italy.

In Italy, a growing number of people with severe mental illness (SMI) require care in residential facilities (RFs), a key component of the care pathway. However, despite their development, studies about resident samples have been very few. This study, the VALERE-REC Study (eVALuation of outcomE in Residential-use of clinical data with REsearch objeCtives) aims to identify the characteristics that increase the probability to move patients living in RFs to a more independent setting. A survey involved 167 patients hosted in 25 RFs of the Verona Mental Health Department. Forty-five patients were residents (27%) in Comunità Terapeutico Riabilitativa Protetta (CTRP); 56 (34%) in Comunità Alloggio (CA), 14 (8%) in Gruppo Appartamento Protetto (GAP), 52 (31%) in Comunità Alloggio Estensiva (CAE). They were assessed for their care pathway after 30-months. The Quality Indicators for Rehabilitative Care-Supported Accommodation (QuIRC-SA) evaluated the quality of 19/25 (76%) RFs. Descriptive analyses were done. According to the mission stated by the Veneto Region guidelines, RFs hosted patients with different needs and clinical profiles. The mean stay was longer than expected, most patients were unemployed, unmet needs were related to self-management and patient's social contacts, and recovery-oriented practices were not implemented. Despite the appropriate admission of patients in different RFs considering their psychopathology, functioning, and needs, the progressive step care pathway did not result effectively pursued. To improve the effectiveness of residential interventions a major task should be to focus on the acquisition of the necessary skills to live independently.

Veteran families with complex needs: a qualitative study of the veterans\u2019 support system

BackgroundFamilies with complex needs face significant challenges accessing and navigating health and social services. For veteran families, these challenges are exacerbated by interactions between military and civilian systems of care, and the density of the veterans’ non-profit sector. This qualitative study was designed to gather rich, detailed information on complex needs in veteran families; and explore service providers’ and families’ experiences of accessing and navigating the veterans’ support system.MethodsThe study comprised participant background questionnaires (n = 34), focus groups with frontline service providers (n = 18), and one-on-one interviews with veteran families (n = 16) in Australia. The semi-structured focus groups and interviews were designed to gather rich, detailed information on four study topics: (i) health and wellbeing needs in veteran families; (ii) service-access barriers and facilitators; (iii) unmet needs and gaps in service provision; and (iv) practical solutions for improving service delivery. The study recruited participants who could best address the focus on veteran families with complex needs. The questionnaire data was used to describe relevant characteristics of the participant sample. The focus groups and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns of shared meaning in the qualitative data.ResultsBoth service providers and families found the veterans’ support system difficult to access and navigate. System fragmentation was perceived to impede care coordination, and delay access to holistic care for veteran families with complex needs. The medico-legal aspects of compensation and rehabilitation processes were perceived to harm veteran identity, and undermine health and wellbeing outcomes. Recovery-oriented practice was viewed as a way to promote veteran independence and self-management. Participants expressed a strong preference for family-centred care that was informed by an understanding of military lifestyle and culture.ConclusionThe health and wellbeing needs of veteran families intensify during the transition from full-time military service to civilian environments, and service- or reintegration-related difficulties may emerge (or persist) for a significant period of time thereafter. Veteran families with complex needs are unduly burdened by care coordination demands. There is a pressing need for high-quality implementation studies that evaluate initiatives for integrating fragmented systems of care.

Positive psychotherapy for psychosis in Hong Kong: A randomized controlled trial

Recovery-oriented practice has been advocated in mental health services in Hong Kong since 2009. Well-being has become an important area of focus for mental health services. Positive Psychotherapy for Psychosis (PPP) is a well-being-focused intervention for use in psychosis, with preliminary evidence from a randomized controlled trial in the United Kingdom of impact on well-being and symptomatology. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of PPP on the well-being of people with psychosis in Hong Kong.The study was a randomized controlled trial with two-arm parallel groups. Both groups received treatments as usual, and in addition the intervention group received a 13-session intervention based on a Cantonese Chinese translation of the PPP manual. Intention-to-treat analysis was used. The trial was registered (ANZCTR: ACTRN12620000464965).A total of 154 participants (78 intervention, 76 control) were recruited. As compared to control group, intervention group participants showed significant changes over time on the primary outcome of well-being assessed using the Chinese Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (p = 0.001) and on secondary outcomes of hope (Agency subscale: p = 0.029) and self-efficacy (p = 0.001).Positive Psychotherapy for Psychosis was found to be an effective treatment in improving the well-being and other mental health outcomes for people with psychosis. It can be recommended for use in mental health services to promote recovery.

The multidimensional model of hope as a recovery-focused practice in mental health nursing.

To analyze the theoretical dimensions of hope as a recovery-oriented practice in mental health nursing. This is a reflective and discursive study based on theoretical and experiential aspects of hope in the recovery process of people facing mental health disorders. Maintaining hope in adverse situations, especially while facing mental suffering, requires skills to manage the factors that promote and inhibit hope. This balance can be tricky to reach without the presence of high-skilled professionals. The study presents the concept of hope-inspiring competence and its main dimensions. The nurse's hope-inspiring competence is recognized as a crucial advanced practice that optimizes mental health by providing motivational resources. Final Considerations: Hope-inspiring competence should be a core principle for recovery-oriented mental health professionals. Despite this recognition, the promotion of hope in mental health nursing specialized practice lacks evidence and visibility.

Clinician Perspectives about working alongside mental health peer workers in service teams

ABSTRACT Recovery-oriented practice (ROP) is being steadily adopted worldwide. The current research aimed to examine perspectives of clinicians about having people with lived experience of mental health working in service teams. The data was collected pre-implementation of ROP at a clinical mental health service. The method was a 14-item survey. The research design was mixed methods, and narrative and exploratory in nature. The present paper explores the quantitative and qualitative data from seven of the items in the survey. Participants were 203 multidisciplinary clinicians consisting of 142 females, 46 males. Fifteen did not specify their sex. Results showed that nearly 9 out of 10 clinicians were keen to have peer workers in their teams. Nine out of 10 believed peer workers’ add value to consumers’ mental health outcomes. There were mixed opinions about whether peer workers should have equal status in teams. Most clinicians did not think peer workers were a burden on the workforce. Around 3 in 10 clinicians did not believe peer workers would make their jobs easier. Most clinicians thought peer workers added value to their work. Qualitative responses reflected these data. This study concludes there is considerable hesitancy about the role of peer workers in the clinical mental health space. Clinicians do believe peer workers should be employed in their team but are not sure of the benefits and liabilities. The present paper is a second in a series presenting data from clinicians’ perspectives about ROP.

Personal recovery and its challenges in forensic mental health: systematic review and thematic synthesis of the qualitative literature.

There has been a call for a framework to guide recovery-oriented practices in forensic mental health services. This study aims to examine personal recovery and its challenges in forensic mental health settings in relation to the established framework for personal recovery in mental illness: connectedness, hope, identity, meaning and empowerment (CHIME). This study is an updated and expanded systematic review and thematic synthesis of the qualitative literature. A systematic search of six electronic databases (Web of Science, Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE and SocIndex) was carried out in January 2019, using the terms [Recover*] AND [Forensic OR Secure] AND [Patient* OR Offend* OR Service User*]. Only studies that included service user's own perceptions and were published from 2014 onward were included in the review. Data were examined with thematic synthesis and subsequently analysed in relation to the CHIME framework. Twenty-one studies were included in the review. Findings suggest that some adjustments to the original CHIME framework are needed for it to be more relevant to forensic populations, and that an additional recovery process regarding feeling safe and being secure (safety and security) could be added to CHIME, providing the CHIME-Secure framework (CHIME-S). Specific challenges and barriers for forensic recovery were identified and found to represent the opposite of the recovery processes defined by CHIME (e.g. hopelessness). We present the CHIME-S as a framework for the personal recovery processes of forensic mental health service users. The CHIME-S may guide the recovery-oriented work of forensic mental health services.

Exploration of the utility of the Nursing Process and the Clinical Reasoning Cycle as a framework for forensic mental health nurses: A qualitative study.

Forensic mental health nursing (FMHN) is a specialized field, designed to meet the needs of people who have a serious mental illness across the criminal justice system, inpatient services and community. Frameworks can assist assessment, planning, intervention, documentation and evaluation of nursing care. However, there is no prior research investigating frameworks in FMHN. This study aimed to explore the Nursing Process (NP) and the Clinical Reasoning Cycle (CRC), with nurses, to determine a suitable framework for use service-wide. A Nominal Group Technique was used to facilitate exploration of the two frameworks, where open-ended verbal and written responses collected from a Nominal Group were thematically analysed, and the participants voted on their preferred framework. Seventeen nurses from a state-wide forensic mental health (FMH) service participated. The four main themes were as follows: challenges to current practice, limitations of the NP, perceived benefits of the CRC and addressing implementation. Consensus was reached with the nurses selecting the CRC as the framework of choice. This is the first study to explore frameworks to guide practice in FMHN. Nurses in this study considered the CRC to be a suitable framework for novice through to expert, offering a contemporary framework to guide nursing care in complex FMH settings. Some adjustments to the existing cycle were suggested to emphasize recovery-oriented practice, and inclusion of family and carers. Any changes to the cycle warrant exploration with the interdisciplinary team and consumer carer workforce.

Part III: Recovery-Oriented Practices in Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services: A Meta-Synthesis

In recent decades, recovery-oriented practice has become the major approach in mental health and substance abuse care, especially in community mental health and substance abuse services. Various models of recovery-oriented practice have come to form the basis of the integration of this approach in service settings. The study aims to elucidate the characteristics of recovery-oriented practice as experienced by participants in the practice. The method used was a qualitative meta-synthesis that integrated the findings from thirty-four empirical papers published by one research group. Four meta-themes were developed: (a) helping and supporting, (b) collaborating and relating, (c) identity integration in practice, and (d) generating hope through nurturing and helping. These themes emphasize the value of relationships and connectedness, contextuality, and resources that can be mobilized in practice. The results emphasize the need to incorporate the elements in the four major themes as “working capital” for practitioners to realize recovery-oriented practice. The concepts of personal, social, and economic capital as working capital are elaborated, drawing from the meta-themes as the basis for recovery-oriented practice in mental health and substance abuse services.

Introduction to the special section on recovery-oriented services in crisis settings.

While substantial progress has been made in integrating recovery-oriented services into traditional outpatient settings, similar progress has lacked in settings which commonly serve persons experiencing mental health crises. This special section includes three studies that highlight promising, recovery-oriented practices that divert persons in crisis from the criminal justice system and traditional emergency medical services, as well as improve the recovery orientation of inpatient services. These promising studies also highlight the substantial work still needed in this area. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Experiences of healthcare staff providing community-based mental healthcare as a multidisciplinary community mental health team in Central and Eastern Europe findings from the RECOVER-E project: an observational intervention study

BackgroundCommunity Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) deliver healthcare that supports the recovery of people with mental illness. The aim of this paper was to explore to what extent team members of five CMHTs newly implemented in five countries perceived that they had introduced aspects of the recovery-oriented, strength-based approach into care after a training week on recovery-oriented practice. In addition, it evaluated what the team members’ perceptions on their care roles and their level of confidence with this role were.MethodAn observational intervention study using a quantitative survey that was administered among 52 health professionals (21 Nurses, 13 Psychiatrists, 9 Psychologists, 8 Social Workers) and 14 peer workers including the Recovery Self-Assessment Tool Provider Version (RSA-P), the Team Member Self-Assessment Tool (TMSA), and demographic questions was conducted. The measures were self-reported. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the means and standard deviations for continuous variables and frequencies and percentages for categorical variables (TMSA tool and demographic data). The standard technique to calculate scale scores for each subscale of the RSA-P was used. Bivariate linear regression analyses were applied to explore the impact of predictors on the subscales of the RSA-P. Predictors with significant effects were included in multiple regression models.ResultThe RSA-P showed that all teams had the perception that they provide recovery–oriented practice to a moderately high degree after a training week on recovery-oriented care (mean scores between 3.85–4.46). Health professionals with fewer years of professional experience perceived more frequently that they operated in a recovery-oriented way (p = 0.036, B = − 0.268). Nurses and peer workers did not feel confident or responsible to fulfil specific roles.ConclusionThe findings suggest that a one-week training session on community-based practices and collaborative teamwork may enhance recovery-oriented practice, but the role of nurses and peer workers needs further attention.Trial registrationEach trial was registered before participant enrolment in the clinicaltrials.gov database: Croatia, Zagreb (Trial Reg. No. NCT03862209); Montenegro, Kotor (Trial Reg. No. NCT03837340); Romania, Suceava (Trial Reg. No. NCT03884933); Macedonia, Skopje (Trial Reg. No. NCT03892473); Bulgaria, Sofia (Trial Reg. No. NCT03922425).

Identifying and understanding the contextual factors that shaped mid-implementation outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in organizations implementing mental health recovery innovations into services

BackgroundSeven housing and health services organizations were guided through a process of translating Chapter Six of the Canadian Guidelines for Recovery-Oriented Practice into a recovery-oriented innovation and plan for its implementation. At the time of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown measures, six of the seven organizations had begun implementing their chosen innovation (peer workers, wellness recovery action planning facilitator training, staff training and a family support group). This mid-implementation study used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to identify contextual factors that influenced organizations to continue or postpone implementation of recovery-oriented innovations in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsTwenty-seven semi-structured 45-min interviews were conducted between May and June 2020 (21 implementation team members and six providers of the innovation (trainers, facilitators, peer workers). Interview guides and analysis were based on the CFIR. Content analysis combined deductive and inductive approaches. Summaries of coded data were given ratings based on strength and valence of the construct’s impact on implementation. Ratings were visualized by mid-implementation outcome and recovery innovation to identify constructs which appear to distinguish between sites with a more or less favorable mid-implementation outcomes.ResultsFour mid-implementation outcomes were observed at this snapshot in time (from most to least positive): continued implementation with adaptation (one site), postponement with adaptation and estimated relaunch date (four sites), indefinite postponement with no decision on relaunch date (one site), and no implementation of innovation yet (one site). Two constructs had either a negative influence (external policies and incentives—renamed COVID-19-related external policy for this study) or a positive influence (leadership engagement), regardless of implementation outcome. Four factors appeared to distinguish between more or less positive mid-implementation outcome: adaptability, implementation climate and relative priority, available resources, and formally appointed internal implementation leaders (renamed “engaging implementation teams during the COVID-19 pandemic” for this study).ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented outer setting factor. Studies that use the CFIR at the mid-implementation stage are rare, as are studies focusing on the outer setting. Through robust qualitative analysis, we identify the key factors that shaped the course of implementation of recovery innovations over this turbulent time.

Nursing handover involving consumers on inpatient mental healthcare units: A qualitative exploration of the consumers' perspective.

Handovers between nurses are a significant cause of communication problems and possible consumer safety issues. A potential solution for both problems is the nursing handover involving consumers, in which the consumer is present at the time of handover. This practice invites consumers to be more involved in their care process and supports a recovery-oriented practice. Research into nursing handovers involving consumers on inpatient mental health units is however very limited. A qualitative, phenomenological study was conducted. Semi-structured interviews with 13 consumers staying on an inpatient mental health unit of a general hospital were used. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Data saturation was reached after 11 interviews when no new themes or codes emerged from the data. Three themes were generated from the interviews: (i) the first moments on the inpatient mental health unit; (ii) the nurse as an ally; and (iii) informing each other. The COREQ-checklist was used. According to consumers, nursing handover involving consumers initiated a change in the relationship between consumers and nurses. Consumers and nurses got to know each other better during handover and built a relationship of trust. The introduction of nursing handover involving consumers created an accessible opportunity for consumers to exchange information with nurses and ask questions concerning their admission. Consumers felt jointly responsible for the continuity of the information about their healthcare process. Due to the use of nursing handover involving consumers, consumers experienced the opportunity to take more control in their health process and ensured that information is correct and complete.

Mental health service users’ lived experiences of recovery-oriented services: a scoping review

Purpose Over the past 15 years, mental health organisations have taken steps to move towards providing services that are more recovery-oriented. This review was undertaken to explore what is known about service users’ experience of services that have introduced a recovery-oriented approach to service provision. There is limited research evaluating consumers’ lived experiences of recovery-orientated care; a scoping review was chosen to provide an overview of the available research in this area (Munn et al., 2018). The purpose of this review was to summarize and synthesize current qualitative research exploring consumers’ experience of recovery orientated mental health care provision. Design/methodology/approach This scoping review was undertaken as outlined by Arksey and O'Malley (2005). The five steps consisted identifying the research question; searching for relevant studies; selecting the studies; charting the studies; and collating, summarising and reporting the findings. Findings Three key themes emerged from this review: translation of recovery policy to practice; ward environment; and recovery principles with five subthemes: engagement; not being listened to; shared decision-making; informational needs; and supportive and collaborative relationships. The themes and subthemes identified in each of the 18 studies are presented in Table 3. Research limitations/implications This review highlights the different degree to which service users have received recovery-oriented recovery care. In the majority of cases, most service users reported few opportunities for nursing engagement, poor communication, inadequate information provision, a lack of collaborative care and mostly negative experiences of the ward environment. Because of the limited studies on mental health service users’ lived experiences of a recovery-oriented service, more clinical studies are needed and in different cultural contexts. Practical implications On hindsight, the authors should have included service users in this review process as consumer inclusion is progressively emphasised in mental health educational and research activities. This review highlights that not all studies have involved service users or consumers in their research activity. Social implications Service users need relevant information in a timely manner to participate in decision-making regarding their treatment and care. This review found that either no information was provided to the service users or it was provided in a limited and fragmented manner. This review also found inpatients reported limited opportunities to have meaningful participation in decision-making about their care. These findings have important social implications, as greater consumer engagement in the design and delivery of mental health services will increase community trust in the care provided. This in turn has the potential to facilitate greater community engagement in preventative mental health care. Originality/value This is the first review to systematically synthesis consumers perspectives on the extent to which service providers are achieving the goal of implementing recovery-orientated practice into their service provision. Despite important policy changes, the findings of this review demonstrate that more work is needed to truly operationalise and translate these principles into practice.

Developing a Tool to Measure Person-Centered Care in Service Planning.

Background: Delivering person-centered care is a key component of health care reform. Despite widespread endorsement, medical and behavioral health settings struggle to specify and measure person-centered care objectively. This study presents the validity and reliability of the Person-Centered Care Planning Assessment Measure (PCCP-AM), an objective measure of the extent to which service planning is person-centered.Methods: Based upon the recovery-oriented practice of person-centered care planning, the 10-item PCCP-AM tool rates service plans on the inclusion of service user strengths, personal life goals, natural supports, self-directed actions and the promotion of community integration. As part of a large randomized controlled trial of person-centered care planning, service plans completed by community mental health clinic providers were rated using the PCCP-AM. Reliability was tested by calculating inter-rater reliability across 168 plans and internal consistency across 798 plans. To test concurrent validity, PCCP-AM scores for 84 plans were compared to expert rater scores on a separate instrument.Results: Interrater reliability for each of the 10 PCCP-AM items as measured by Kendall's W ranged from W = 0.77 to W = 0.89 and percent of scores within ± 1 point of each other ranged from 85.7 to 100%. Overall internal consistency as measured by Cronbach's alpha across 798 plans was α = 0.72. Concurrent validity as measured by Kendall's W ranged from W = 0.55 to W = 0.74 and percent of item scores within ± 1 point of expert rater scores ranged from 73.8 to 86.8%.Conclusions: Findings demonstrated that the 10-item PCCP-AM was a valid and reliable objective measure of person-centered care. Using the service plan as an indicator of multiple domains of person-centered care, the measure provides a valuable tool to inform clinical supervision and quality improvement across programs. More psychometric testing is needed to strengthen the measure for research purposes.

The flexible assertive community treatment fidelity scale: description of the development in the Netherlands and adaptation in Denmark and Sweden

ABSTRACT Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is the most common ambulatory service delivery model for people with severe mental illness worldwide. Flexible ACT, a Dutch modification of ACT, provides comprehensive care for the entire population of people with severe mental illness (SMI). FACT combines the principles of individual case management with ACT services. Researchers found an association between model fidelity and treatment outcome. Consequently, scholars formulated fidelity scales based on previous research and expert opinion (operationalizations of multiple criteria of team structure, organization and treatment processes). The first FACT model fidelity scale from 2008 facilitated the dissemination of FACT and prevented programme drift. Ten years later, an update was necessary to address relevant local variations in implementation, due to specific population profiles and available regional network services, and to improve recovery-oriented and evidence-based practices. Authors and stakeholders tested and updated a new FACT-model fidelity scale in the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden. The resulting scale assesses 16 quantitative items and 8 qualitative, descriptive topics on 5-point Likert scales. The scale includes FACT-criteria that evidently work and still allow a team to diversify. The FACTs 2017 is a new standard to assess FACT-team model fidelity for the care of people with severe mental illness in The Netherlands and Scandinavia.

Clinician perspectives and sense of efficacy about the implementation of recovery-oriented practice in mental health

Abstract Recovery-oriented practice (ROP) is being steadily adopted worldwide. The current research examined the perspectives of clinicians about ROP pre-implementation at a clinical mental health service. The method was a survey consisting of fourteen questions regarding implementation of ROP and clinicians reported self-efficacy about work within a ROP framework. The research design was mixed methods couched within a narrative approach. It was exploratory and social constructivist in nature. This article explores quantitative data. Participants were 203 mental health clinicians from multidisciplinary backgrounds—including social work, nursing, occupational therapy, psychiatry, psychology, other medical and other allied health. There were 142 females, 46 males; 15 did not specify their sex. Results showed that clinicians perceived their practice was recovery-oriented 83.6 per cent of the time. Overall, 81 per cent chose the most recovery-oriented statement prior to formal training in ROP. This study concludes that clinicians are committed to the implementation of ROP. They do not believe ROP is easy to implement; however, they do believe it can be successfully implemented in the clinical treatment setting. With the support of stakeholders, these findings may be used to aid the ongoing implementation of ROP into the study service, and add to social work literature.

A journey of living well: a participatory photovoice study exploring recovery and everyday activities with people experiencing mental illness

Background and Aim Engagement in everyday activities has been identified as an important element in personal recovery from the experience of mental illness and a key priority for service-users. This study explored the role of everyday activities in recovery. Method This study used a photovoice participatory research. Twenty-one participants experiencing mental illness were recruited from a community-managed mental health service in Melbourne, Australia. Data collection included individual interviews and photovoice courses. The courses included group discussions and required participants to take photographs about their everyday activities that support recovery. A lived experience co-facilitator contributed to development and delivery of the course. The interviews and group discussions were transcribed verbatim and analysed using constant comparative methods. Results Recovery as a “journey of living well” was identified as the central theme that encompasses three interlinked categories: (1) living a life on hold; (2) choosing to recover; and (3) learning and navigating strategies. Conclusions The findings suggest that recovery involves a range of experiences embedded in people’s everyday lives. Recovery-oriented practice should provide opportunities for engagement in meaningful activities, to help consumers identify their potential and strategies to live well, and to adopt co-production at all levels.