CQI provides consultative services and technical assistance to state and federal authorities, advocacy organizations, providers, and managed care companies on how to formalize the role of consumers and family members in systems improvement and transformation.

In addition, agencies look to CQI for consultation on:

1. Consumer/family driven systems transformation                                                               CQI is currently assisting the Mass. DMH with their strategic planning by gaining input from consumers and family members through a series of statewide focus groups, and resultant reports and presentations.
2. Consumer/family driven organizational learning and change                                      CQI consulted with M-POWER and DMH on the establishment of an organization (the Transformation Center) that would in part offer support to designated peer specialists and advocates working in provider organizations.
3. Developing a Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPR) approach CQI is a founding member and driving force of the Boston Community-Academic Mental Health Partnership (B-CAMHP), funded by NIMH
4. Using research to advocate for positive change
   See as an example the Youth in Transition Citizenship Project 
5. Developing a consumer-driven evaluation process
6. Starting and developing a consumer directed evaluation organization
7. Establishing partnerships that make research accessible to broad audiences

In 2005, NIH for the first time developed a grant process by which the research was to be based on the principles of Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPR). CQI, with funding from the Mass. DMH, sponsored several meetings of the key consumer/family advocacy groups (M-POWER, PAL and NAMI) to build consensus for mental health research priorities in Boston. As a result, CQI in collaboration with Alisa Lincoln, PhD of Boston University School of Public Health as the primary investigator, applied for a grant to develop, the Boston Community-Academic Mental Health Partnership (B-CAMHP) . The grant was awarded in April 2006, one of very few CBPR grants awarded in that cycle. It is also the first of its kind in the United States, to formally include mental health consumers as drivers of the research process.

This partnership brings together consumers, family members and academic based researchers to develop community based participatory action research in mental health. The “community” has been defined as adults struggling with severe and persistent mental disorders and children struggling with severe emotional disturbance in Boston. This is an area of critical importance for while there are many academic mental health researchers in Boston, few avenues exist for consumers and family members to be a genuine part of the research process. Our long term goal is to create a mechanism through which community members can inform and participate in all aspects of the research process; from question generation, to the design and conduct of research studies, the interpretation of results, and dissemination. The specific aims of this proposal are: 1) to develop the B-CAMHP; 2) to conduct a pilot study of consumer perspectives of psychiatric emergency care; and 3) to identify and develop future research proposals and sustainability efforts for the B-CAMHP.

Training
CQI’s trainings for organizations include

1. Consumers and family members as researchers, including interviewing, data review, and data presentation. Interviewer skills and critical thinking training to organizations that are interested in initiating a consumer directed project to conduct surveys and/or hold focus groups for quality improvement and evaluative purposes
2. Train youth, adolescents and adults to conduct and use research for community change  See as an example the Youth in Transition Citizenship Project .

Photovoice
Photovoice provides an opportunity for marginalized communities to acquire photographic training which they can use to express their strengths, needs and resources in a way that has been shown to inspire change and dialogue with decision-makers in the community.

Here is an example of a CQI Photovoice project:

Using Photovoice to help young adults identify their needs and resources
and communicate with policy makers in a way that is
powerful and inspires motivation for change.

Project Outline:

1. Project consultants will train facilitators in the responsibilities and use of Photovoice.
2. CQI and local facilitators will meet with a group of 5-8 young adults to define the goals and objectives of the project and introduce the process of photovoice. At the initial meeting, cameras will be distributed for picture taking in the community. A proposed schedule will be handed out and the next meeting confirmed.
3. At the second meeting, the full schedule of 6 more meetings will be confirmed. Ongoing weekly meetings will be held to: 

                    * Select photographs for discussion.
                    * Contextualize and tell the story of selected photos.
                    * Codify issues, themes, and theories.

    4.   After taking and reviewing photos, the group will develop a multimedia presentation 
          of their findings and recommendations.     
    5.   Presentations will be made to policy makers, donors, media, family, and others in order to  
          mobilize for change.
    6.   Group evaluation and celebration of the photovoice project.

Outcomes:

• The exhibit will increase public awareness of the issues and fuel changes in policy and practices that impact young people growing up with serious emotional disorders.
• Youth participants will develop artistic, social, writing, critical thinking, leadership and political advocacy skills.
• Group members will develop their collective identity and investment in the local community.

The photographs were displayed in various exhibits in Western Massachusetts and the group members were there to share their experiences and discuss their photographs.

Photos 1
Photos 2
Photos 3
Photos 4

More about PhotoVoice can be found at http://www.photovoice.com/.