Consumer Quality Initiatives

Consumer Quality Initiatives (CQI) is a mental health consumer operated research, evaluation and quality improvement organization based in Massachusetts A primary activity of CQI is to conduct personal interviews and focus groups with people with disabilities and/or their family members using semi-structured surveys and interview guides, leading to in-depth data-driven reports. CQI utilizes a Community-based Participatory Action Research framework, with an emphasis on protocols that are designed to impact policy and practice directly. CQI also consults locally and nationally on achieving significant involvement of consumers in the "change" process to promote mental health systems transformation and quality improvement.


	Do you see a psychiatrist who prescribes medication(s) for you? If you do, we invite you to take this very important survey. CQI is making a strong effort to better understand how mental health consumers participate in making medication decisions with their psychiatrist, and how they would prefer to participate. This survey is gather that information without taking too much of your time. The results of this survey will be used to inform all policy makers, providers, and community members about psychiatric medication decision making. On June 25th, CQI and DMH co-sponsored a policy summit: Shared Decision Making in Mental Health Services: First Steps towards a Statewide Approach. Close to 100 people attended. Videos of speakers, photos, and a White Paper to follow on this website. This Policy Summit is the first of several being funded by a 2008 Robert Wood Johnson Communtiy Health Leadership award to Jonathan Delman. See RWJ produced video See Boston Globe coverage: "Man Battles own Mental Illness, wins Leadership Prize" Photovoice Young Adult Project Read More....


	CQI is hiring for a Research Project Coordinator. CQI recently prepared a report for National Empowerment Center on best practices in consumer-run evaluation organizations. The report examines current consumer-run evaluation teams, identifies their core and innovative features, and presents recommendations for those planning to start a consumer-led evaluation team. The report has been posted on National Empowerment Center's website, and can be read here: Consumer-Led Evaluation Teams:A Peer-Led Approach to Assessing Consumer Experiences with Mental Health Services. In November Jon Delman participated in the annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy: "Health Care Reform: Challenges and Opportunities for Behavioral Health Care." As a member of the research workgroup, he and CQI have made a commitment to advance and promote research in Massachusetts on the efficient and effective integration of care. Recent CQI Publications: R. Beinecke and J. Delman (2008) Commentary: Client Involvement in Public Administration Research and Evaluation. The Public Sector Innovation Journal vol. 13, no. 1. J. Delman and A. Lincoln (2009) Service Users as Paid Research Workers: Principles for Active Involvement and Good Practice Guidance in Handbook of Service User Involvement in Mental Health Research (J. Wallcraft, M. Amering, B. Schrank John Wiley and Sons), Indianapolis, IN