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Assessing the service needs of people with mental handicaps: METHOD USED IN THE JAY PROJECT
Author(s) -
Freedman David
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of the british institute of mental handicap (apex)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1468-3156
pISSN - 0261-9997
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3156.1988.tb00461.x
Subject(s) - agency (philosophy) , service (business) , action (physics) , point (geometry) , perception , psychology , mental health , public relations , medical education , applied psychology , sociology , medicine , business , marketing , political science , social science , psychiatry , physics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , neuroscience
This article sets out the method used in the Jay Project for assessing the service needs of people with mental handicaps over the major areas of life. Detailed interviews were conducted with the individuals themselves, their close family and/or friends, and the professional workers who knew them well. Available records were also consulted. A summary of the perceptions and opinions of the people interviewed was drawn up and presented under key headings, followed by a list of “service needs” as seen from the point‐of‐view of the service users. The assessments were discussed by the Project's multi‐agency Steering Group where recommendations for action were made, the aims being to try to obtain better services for individuals and to indicate to service planners the degree of service need in a geographical area. The method demonstrated that broad‐based assessments could be produced in a relatively short time. The structure of the Project created a forum for multi‐agency dialogue and helped to foster inter‐agency cooperation.