Self-Help Groups and Mental Health/Substance Use Agencies: The Benefits of Organizational Exchange

Abstract

Self-help groups benefit clients by linking them to people who have “been there” and are successfully coping with their situations. Mental health/substance use agencies can increase access to evidence-based benefits of self-help groups by engaging them in organizational exchanges. Organizational theories are used to frame beneficial exchanges with self-help groups. Adaptational theory is used to frame exchanges with self-help groups and various service agency subunits, e.g., board, practitioner, and client units. Institutional theory is used to frame joint agency/self-help initiatives to promote community acceptance of self-help groups, which in turn may enhance the credibility of the professional agency.

RÉSUMÉ

Les groupes d’entraide et de santé mentale/d’abus de substances toxiques: Les bénéfices des échanges organisationnelles

Les groupes d’entraide sont avantageux aux clients parce qu’ils établissent un lien avec les personnes qui ont vécu les mêmes expériences et qui sont en train de s’adapter a leurs situations. Les agences de santé mentales et d’abus de substances toxiques peuvent améliorer l’accès aux services rendus par les groupes d’entraide en les engageant dans les exchanges organisationnelles. Les théories organisationnelles s’utilisent pour renforcer les exchanges bénéfiques avec les groups d’entraide. La théorie d’adaptation s’utilise pour encadrer les exchanges entre les groupes d’entraide avec plusieurs sous-unités d’agences de services, par exemple, une commission, un praticien, ou des unités de client. La théorie institutionnelle s’utilise pour encadrer les initiatives co-administrées ou d’entraide pour promouvoir l’approbation de la communauté pour les groups d’entraide, qui pourraient, à leur tour, améliorer la crédibilité de l’agence professionnelle.

Mots Clefs: les échanges organisationnelles, les groupes d’entraide, les groupes de 12 étapes, les groupes d’aide mutuelle, le support des pairs, consommateurs de sante mentale, troubles d’abus de substances toxiques, les infirmités psychiatriques, la guérison.

RESUMEN

Los grupos de autoayuda y las agencias de salud mental o de abuso de drogas: los beneficios de los intercambios organizacionales

Los grupos de autoayuda beneficien a los clientes en los conectando a las personas que han vivido las mismas dificultades y que están entintando a sobrevivirlas. Las agencias de salud o de abuso de drogas pueden aumentar el acceso a los beneficios probados de los grupos de autoayuda en los usando en los intercambios organizacionales. Las teorías organizacionales se utilizan para enmarcar los intercambios positivos de los grupos de autoayuda. La teoría de adaptación se utiliza para enmarcar los intercambios entre los grupos de autoayuda y las divisiones de agencias de servicio, por ejemplo, un consejo de administración, un medico, o las unidades de clientes. La teoría institucional se utiliza para enmarcar las iniciativas colaborativas de las agencias y de autoayuda para promover la aceptación de los grupos de autoayuda por parte de la comunidad, lo que podría mejorar la credibilidad de la agencia profesional.

Palabras claves: intercambios organizacionales, grupos de autoayuda, grupos de 12 etapas, grupos de ayuda mutua, apoyo de grupos paritarios, consumadores de salud mental, problemas de abuso de drogas, discapacidades siquiátricas, recuperación.

Keywords :

• organizational exchanges
• self-help groups
• 12-step groups
• mutual help groups
• peer support
• mental health consumers
• substance use disorders
• psychiatric disabilities
• recovery

THE AUTHORS

Thomas J. Powell, Ph.D., LMSW, ACSW is Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan School of Social Work where he teaches mental health policy and interpersonal practice methods. He was the Principal Investigator of the National Institute of Mental Health funded Center for Self-Help Research. He is the author of numerous articles and books on self-help participation as a recovery resource. He is particularly interested in the interface between professional M/SU services and self-help services. The value of self-help participation as a complement to professional services has been a major focus of interest.

Brian Edward Perron, after completing his PhD at Washington University in 2007, Dr. Perron joined the faculty at the University of Michigan, School of Social Work. Previously, he worked as a clinical social worker in community mental health, providing services to persons with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders. His research focuses on issues related to the quality of care for persons with mental illnesses and substance use disorders. He is involved in a variety of research activities, including analysis of nationally representative data and clinic-based surveys, and collaborating on field-based interventions. Dr. Perron is also interested in innovative research methodologies and provides statistical consultation for a number of projects.

Notes

1 Throughout the article, the acronym M/SU refers to “mental and/or substance use,” following the practice of the Committee on Crossing the Quality Chasm: Adaptation to Mental Health and Addictive Disorders (2006).