A key component to be addressed when developing programs is quality of life. This article describes the rationale, design, and implementation of the Oasis Spa at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. This initiative was generated from an acknolwedgement and awareness of the full range of supports—biological, social, emotional, and spiritual—which all people need to live their lives fully. The ambiance and services created as a result of consumer feedback are typical of any spa found in the community that provides self-care, nurturing, comfort, and retreat. The Oasis provides a full range of holistic health strategies which empower clients to take an active role in their recovery. Society is becoming more aware of the mainstream trend towards integrative medicine; however, this service appears to be unique in mental health. Approaching the third millennium, it is imperative that society develops a less polarized approach to health care.

The findings of a national study of Independent Living Centres (ILCs) in Canada suggest that the ILCs are a potentially powerful innovation for the consumer/survivor movement. Independent Living Centres are non-profit, cross-disability, consumer-driven, community-based centres which promote both individual empowerment and community change. The IL and mental health reform paradigms share in the development of empowerment theory, acknowledge the importance of consumer driven organizations, and utilize a socio-political analysis of disability which goes beyond the person and recognizes the environment as problematic. Accordingly, the reform paradigm seeks innovative services which are separate from the traditional mental health system. Before this can fully become a reality, mental health professionals need to increase their knowledge of the IL philosophy and ILC practice. Similarly, ILCs need to increase their knowledge of consumer/survivor empowerment and recovery and carefully assess any barriers that exist in terms of consumers/survivors accessing the ILCs, Collaboration between the IL movement and mental health will increase the likelihood of ILCs becoming a stronger resource for consumers/survivors.

This paper summarizes the results of a multi-year evaluation of a parent support centre project. Qualitative data gathered both from a series of individual interviews with participants and from a series of focus-group interviews with both participants and workers are presented. The developmental process of the project is detailed. Positive outcomes with regard to individual changes in social support, parenting, and self-esteem are described. The accomplishments of the project's goals regarding participant satisfaction with activities and programs and the development of indigenous leadership are noted; however, the project was deemed less successful with regard to ongoing recruitment of participants. Implications for practice are discussed.

Over the past few years and for a variety of reasons, consumers/survivors in the Niagara Region have indicated that an alternative to hospitalization is needed. This paper describes the community-development process which led to the creation of a crisis-response system consisting of Community Crisis Care (CCC) and a Safe Beds program operated by the Canadian Mental Health Association St. Catharines and District. The system is described, as well as the partnerships that are critical to the program's success. Evaluative data are presented along with a discussion of critical learnings. Future considerations for program improvement also are discussed.

As a part of a larger study of change towards the values of an empowerment-community integration paradigm in community mental health, we examined changes in 3 mental health organizations in 1 community. Using qualitative methods, we focused on: (a) change pathways, (b) organizational change outcomes, and (c) the factors which helped and hindered change outcomes. We found evidence of a paradigm shift in the values and related practices within the organizations. Our results and themes are discussed and aimed at understanding and integrating knowledge about organizational change and the empowerment-community integration paradigm in community mental health.

Créé en 1987, l'Organisme de développement et d'entraide communautaire (ODEC), organisme è but non lucratif, s'est développé pour offrir des services d'entraide et de développement communautaire en santé mentale dans la région de la Vallée-de-la-Lievre en Outaouais. Développé è partir d'un projet de service d'accompagnement individuel pour des personnes vivant des problèmes de santé mentale, l'ODEC a réussi è mettre sur pied un important réseau d'entraide qui anime aujourd'hui plus d'une centaine de personnes. L'article est issu d'une étude de cas en profondeur de cette organisation. II analyse les grands paramètres de son parcours réparti sur plus de 10 ans pour dégager la contribution d'une intervention de réseau en accointance avec l'intervention communautaire dans le domaine de la santé mentale.

Voices, Opportunities & Choices Employment Club (VOCEC) is a nonprofit “umbrella” corporation that facilitates the development of affirmative businesses to create jobs for consumers of mental health services. To date, 5 independent businesses have been developed by transforming the resources of sheltered workshops within Kingston Psychiatric Hospital and 2 businesses have been established in collaboration with a local public library. This paper provides a description of VOCEC, including an overview of the affirmative business approach, the structure of the organization, and the process of business development. Personal reflections provide insights into the experiences of consumers, staff, and Board members associated with the corporation.

Le concept d'équipe MRC (Municipalités régionales de comté) résulte de la transformation rapide des services de santé mentale. Dans la plupart des régions du Québec l'on est passé d'un modèle institutionnel où un seul établissement fournissait l'ensemble des services è un modèle éclaté dans la communauté où une multitude d'organismes dispensent toute une gamme de services. Le partenariat devient alors une nécessité. L'équipe MRC se veut donc une structure de concertation qui rallie sous une meme bannière l'ensemble des intervenants et des intervenantes du milieu communautaire et du réseau public æuvrant auprès de la clientèle souffrant de troubles sévères et persistants. L'objectif de cet article est donc de définir le concept d'équipe MRC et de voir sous quel signe se passe la collaboration entre les membres sachant que les relations entre les organismes communautaires et le réseau public n'ont pas toujours été fructueuses.

La concertation est une pratique hautement valorisée par l'État pour des raisons è la fois idéologiques et éconorniques. Mais si la concertation administrative est relativement aisée è entreprendre, qu'en est-il au niveau du terrain? Quels sont les ingrédients qui favorisent une réelle concertation entre les intervenants et intervenantes et quelles sont les difficultés rencontrées au plan des pratiques quotidiennes? À partir de l'expérience acquise dans l'ouest de l'ile de Montréal, nous avons constaté que plusieurs enjeux méritent d'ètre compris et approfondis: la difficulté de concilier traitement et empowerment des clientèles, la difficulté de dégager des valeurs et convictions communes entre les milieux institutionnels et communautaires, la tendance è accaparer les clients et clientes dans les milieux cliniques. Malgré ces difficultés, il est évident que les pratiques évoluent vers une plus grande concertation sur le terrain dans un contexte où les clientèles sont croissantes et les problématiques se complexifient.