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.

The Boston Community-Academic Partnership (B-CAMHP) has received IRB approvals to begin interviews with adults who have used Boston psychiatric emergency services twice within the previous month, as well as interested family members.  A primarly goal is to learn about the personal experience of frequent emergency servcies use. Qualitative interviews will be conducted by trained consumer interviewers.    Photovoice Young Adult Project  Read More....

CQI publishes new Issue Briefs:         Informed Consent:  Strategies to improve the experience of Massachusetts mental health consumers;              Homelessness and psychiatric hospitlization:  The experience of adult MassHealth recipients.       -With funding from the Mass. DMH, CQI has conducted case studies of successful integration of peer specialists with the South Shore PACT team and the River Valley day treatment program. These studies are powerful illustrations of how peer specialists can affect program culture and client satisfaction when clinical leadership sets the right tone.