(cont.):
7) The wishes of the mental health consumers are sometimes requested but their indicated desires are often ignored. Government bureaucracies still think that they know better than the mental health consumers themselves. The bureaucrats' decisions are not based on their personal experiences but are often a reflection of the latest trend in mental health theory. Theories by their very nature come, go and sometimes recycle themselves years later. During this process the mental health consumer finds themselves involuntarily being part of the next great experiment in psychiatric rehabilitation. Needless to say it is the mental health clients themselves who live out the practical consequences of the next "best practice" in mental health.
8) A recent theory is that the best outcome for a mental health consumer is to live in out in the community on an independent basis. In a perfect world this makes a lot of sense. The sad reality, however, is that there will always be a significant proportion of the severely mentally ill for whom this can never become a reality in their lives. These unfortunate people are many times asked to reach for the same goal as their higher functioning peers.
9) The front line mental heath workers are sometimes asked to make program recommendations. However, their suggestions are often not followed up on. The archaic managerial attitude that supervisors always know best continues to be the guiding principle.
7) The wishes of the mental health consumers are sometimes requested but their indicated desires are often ignored. Government bureaucracies still think that they know better than the mental health consumers themselves. The bureaucrats' decisions are not based on their personal experiences but are often a reflection of the latest trend in mental health theory. Theories by their very nature come, go and sometimes recycle themselves years later. During this process the mental health consumer finds themselves involuntarily being part of the next great experiment in psychiatric rehabilitation. Needless to say it is the mental health clients themselves who live out the practical consequences of the next "best practice" in mental health.
8) A recent theory is that the best outcome for a mental health consumer is to live in out in the community on an independent basis. In a perfect world this makes a lot of sense. The sad reality, however, is that there will always be a significant proportion of the severely mentally ill for whom this can never become a reality in their lives. These unfortunate people are many times asked to reach for the same goal as their higher functioning peers.
9) The front line mental heath workers are sometimes asked to make program recommendations. However, their suggestions are often not followed up on. The archaic managerial attitude that supervisors always know best continues to be the guiding principle.
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