Kenneth S. Thompson

Training residents for community psychiatric practice: Guidelines for curriculum development

There is a critical need to recruit and retain more psychiatrists with the required skills and interest to work with seriously mentally ill and/or socially disadvantaged patients within organized programs in community settings. More residency training programs having the capacity to prepare psychiatrists for community practice can help to meet this need. A consensus definition of the clinical, administrative, consultative and academic areas of contemporary community psychiatric practice developed by the American Association of Community Psychiatrists is used to determine the goals of the training curriculum described in this paper. A comprehensive list of knowledge, skill, and attitude objectives, as well as suggestions for structuring clinical training assignments are provided as guidelines for curriculum development.

Community psychiatry training for general psychiatry residents: Results of a national survey

Through its residency training committee, the American Association of Community Psychiatrists (AACP) surveyed residency training programs throughout the country with the goal of discovering what training is currently in place to prepare psychiatrists for work in “community” or “public” settings which serve traditionally underserved populations. The authors summarize the results of the survey and offer suggestions for further steps needed to improve residency training curricula and to address the need for well qualified psychiatrists to choose careers in community psychiatry.

Personal and Societal Benefits of Providing Peer Support: A Survey of Peer Support Specialists

OBJECTIVE Peer-delivered services have burgeoned, and evidence of the effectiveness of peer support is increasing. However, the potential benefits to peer support specialists (PSSs) themselves are not as well understood. The authors conducted a survey of PSSs to examine potential benefits. METHODS A survey instrument was developed and refined and sent anonymously via the Internet to PSSs who had been employed for a minimum of two months by an agency that employs a large number of PSSs. RESULTS A total of 253 respondents completed the survey (70% response rate). Respondents reported a variety of benefits in the intrapersonal, social, mental health, recovery, spiritual, and professional domains. Forty percent of respondents reported discontinuing at least one type of disability or social benefit. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that employment as a PSS is a potent vehicle for improving recovery and quality of life. Results accrue to society in reduction of public benefits.

Partnership in Recovery

The Grant Street Partnership (GSP) is a new, community- developed, sheller-based program of clinical and case-management services for homeless, cocaine-abusing men in New Haven,Connecticut. The fist component of the GSP is a 90day residential program in which residents progress from one level of accomplishment and responsibility to the next, culminating in an assisted search for suitable housing and for employment or job training. Upon completion of the residential component, the clients continue in case management and clinical services for approximately six months on an ambulatory basis. The GSP has a second agenda of being an agent for improvement of housing, employment, and job-training services in New Haven Because a wide spectrum of cily institutions were involved in the development of the GSP, the partnership thus developed has continued and is being redirected toward institutional change of the type needed by the GSP clients.

Re-inventing progressive community psychiatry: the use of history.

Over the last half-century progressives in community psychiatry have challenged the social order while addressing the needs of persons with psychiatric disorders. Recently, however, their vision and energy has faltered. A re-evaluation of the progressive position is essential, beginning with a review of its historical experience. Unfortunately, modern psychiatry has become increasingly ahistorical. Those histories that do exist reveal little about the experiences of progressive practive and tend to attack it from the right or from the left. There is a tremendous need to synthesize new socially-oriented histories of the progressive movement in community psychiatry.Over the last half-century progressives in community psychiatry have challenged the social order while addressing the needs of persons with psychiatric disorders. Recently, however, their vision and energy has faltered. A re-evaluation of the progressive position is essential, beginning with a review of its historical experience. Unfortunately, modern psychiatry has become increasingly ahistorical. Those histories that do exist reveal little about the experiences of progressive practive and tend to attack it from the right or from the left. There is a tremendous need to synthesize new socially-oriented histories of the progressive movement in community psychiatry.