CONSUMER AFFAIRS BULLETIN
Volume 2, No. 2 Summer 1997

Dynamic Duo - Consumers and Psychiatrists in Dialogue

Consumers and psychiatrists met to tell it like it is and how they would like it to be at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Center for Mental Health Services (SAMHSA/CMHS) sponsored Consumers and Psychiatrists in Dialogue meeting held over a two-day period in July. Ten consumers and ten psychiatrists met to discuss cooperative partnership activities to improve mental health services.

The meeting had three main objectives: 1) to develop better mutual understanding and respect between consumers and psychiatrists; 2) to develop a set of recommendations regarding how consumers and psychiatrists can prepare themselves to achieve better mutual understanding and more therapeutic partnerships; and 3) to prepare and distribute a monograph describing the meeting's process and outcomes.

Participants conversed honestly on a range of topics from trust and vulnerabilities, to shared decision making, to understanding what helps and what hurts. Other contextual and policy issues were examined including managed care, involuntary treatment, medications, consumer-operated services and stigma. The consumer/survivor participants were: Donetta Adair (Okla.), Fred Frese (Ohio), Hikmah Gardiner (Pa.), Gayle Bluebird (Fla.), Janet Foner (Pa.), Larry Fricks (Ga.), Jacki McKinney (Pa.), Ann Marshall (Ala.), Tom Ricke (Ill.) and Ron Waters (Ca.)

The psychiatrist participants were: Irma Bland (La.), Naleen Andrade (Hawaii), David Joseph (Wash. D.C.), James Lomax (Texas), Warren Liang (Ohio), John Oldham (N.Y.), Pedro Ruiz (Texas), Eva Szigethy (Ohio), Kenneth Thompson (Pa.), Sydney Weissman (Ill.), and Mary Kay Smith (Ohio). John Gates, director of the mental health program of the Carter Center in Atlanta, Ga., facilitated the meeting.

The group quickly seized the opportunity to learn from each other. Perhaps the diversity of the group allowed such frank opinions to flourish. All of those in attendance sensed a special happening. Comments ranged from people feeling like they were at this meeting to be "change agents" to people suggesting having consumers train psychiatry residents.

Co-chairs, CMHS Associate Director for Medical Affairs Melvyn R. Haas, M.D., and CMHS Consumer Affairs Specialist Paolo del Vecchio agreed that in today's environment, communication based on mutual respect is key to improving our nation's mental health in the next millennium. CMHS Director Bernard S. Arons, M.D. stated, "we believe that this meeting established a foundation to build lasting partnerships to improve mental health service delivery."

Consumer Affairs Bulletin
Volume 2, No. 2 Summer 1997
CMH97-5015