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Community‐based mental health training
Author(s) -
Lewis Michael D.,
Lewis Judith A.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6629(197904)7:2<95::aid-jcop2290070202>3.0.co;2-c
Subject(s) - mental health , bachelor , training (meteorology) , community organization , set (abstract data type) , psychology , medical education , public relations , nursing , political science , medicine , psychiatry , computer science , geography , meteorology , law , programming language
Community‐based mental health training programs are characterized by their location within the neighborhood to be served and by the involvement of community members in program planning, implementation, and evaluation. Community‐based programs are joint efforts, and use the resources of both institutions of higher learning and community organizations or agencies. This article describes one such effort: a mental health paraprofessional training program held on‐site at The Woodlawn Organization, in Chicago, Illinois. The two‐year project provided bachelor's level education to members of the Woodlawn community, allowing them to assume roles as mental health leaders for Woodlawn. The Woodlawn Organization represents the people of the community, and had a long history of involvement in building self‐determination for its members. This concept provided an underlying motivation for the mental health training program as well. Students were trained, not just to deliver direct services, but to develop and implement mental health programs that would respond to the priorities set by the citizens of Woodlawn.