Spring 2008 Course Description
Policy Research Project
| Section Title: |
Role of the Consumer in Social Policy Reform |
| Instructor(s): |
Jane Lincove |
| Course: |
P A 682B - Policy Research Project |
| Unique Number: |
64175 |
| Day & Time: |
Thursdays, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM |
| Room: |
SRH 3.106 |
| Waitlist Information: | For LBJ Students: UT Waitlist Information
For Non LBJ Students: LBJ School Waitlist Instructions |
| Notes: |
Taught with P. Wong |
This course fulfills requirements for the following specialization(s):
- Urban and State Affairs
- Social and Economic Policy
Description: Mental Health Transformation (MHT) is an ambitious five-year project that the State of Texas is undertaking with funding from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administation. The Texas plan is to emphasize (1) the role of consumers in steering the system and in delivering services and (2) the use of information technology for better coordination and innovation, in order to bring about system level reform. This PRP focuses on the role of consumers. There is another PRP, directed by Prof. Gary Chapman, which deals with information technology. These two PRPs will have occasional coordination.
The ?system? envisioned in MHT is not just the traditional, narrowly defined ?mental health service? system, but the broader service infrastructure that should be in place to support the needs of persons with mental health needs?from health services to housing and employment. Therefore the Governor?s Office has requested that fourteen state agencies work together to bring about changes in the broader system.
The issue of consumer participation is gaining importance throughout the social services. Education reformers call for greater parent participation in schools, health policy innovations call for consumers to take control of health care decisions, and the neighborhood council movement calls for greater citizen participation in all areas of local government.
In the mental health field, consumer participation is particularly important and complex. A movement for consumer-driven services (peer networks, peer supports, cash-for-counseling, etc.) argues that the most successful models for recovery and resiliency are consumer-led. At the same time, public mental health systems are typically top-down systems where consumers and their families are treated as patients rather than partners.
Today, the State of Texas faces the challenge of implementing consumer-driven mental health reforms in a policy environment that has historically excluded the consumer voice and discouraged participation. This PRP will examine the current status of consumer advocacy in Texas mental health policy and propose reforms to expand consumer voice. Participants will:
- Learn the theory and practice of citizen participation in public administration in general and their implications for mental health policy in particular.
- Interview mental health advocates and consumers about their experiences and hopes for reform.
- Survey the current infrastructure for consumer policy advocacy in Texas.
- Create network and geographic maps of the consumer infrastructure in Texas using GIS and network mapping software.
- Research and design policy innovations to make mental health consumer-driven.
- Visit local sites participating in MHT to learn mental health service delivery issues and evaluate their systems.
Return to Spring 2008 Course Schedule
