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Training and Education Needs of Consumers, Families, and Front-Line Staff in Behavioral Health Practice

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Abstract

Much of the behavioral health care delivered to people with serious mental illnesses and chronic addictive disorders is provided by front-line or direct service mental health workers. Issues related to the qualifications, training, and ongoing evaluation of the competencies of this important provider group have received scant attention in the behavioral health field. This paper explores the educational needs and best practices of the consumers and families who carry much of the burden of caring for disabled populations, as well as the front-line staff, many of whom are employed in state psychiatric hospitals and community mental health or addiction treatment systems. Within the overall context of culturally competent behavioral health care, specific recommendations are proposed in an attempt to move the field forward.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Carolina School of Medicine, USA

    John A. Morris

  2. South Carolina Center for Innovation in Public Mental Health, USA

    John A. Morris

  3. Colleges of Nursing and Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, USA

    Gail W. Stuart

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  1. John A. Morris
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  2. Gail W. Stuart
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Morris, J.A., Stuart, G.W. Training and Education Needs of Consumers, Families, and Front-Line Staff in Behavioral Health Practice. Adm Policy Ment Health 29, 377–402 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019605207356

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