This was the first independent evaluation of mental health consumer-run organizations in Canada.  It was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.  The purpose of the study was to examine the activities and impacts of CSIs on new members (individual-level) and the communities within which the CSIs exist (systems-levels). 

Madhouse to Our House, a DVD produced from the project, provides a brief history of mental health supports in Canada. 

Research Partners

• Wilfrid Laurier University (Geoff Nelson - Psychology Professor)

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (John Trainor - Director of Community Support and Research Unit and Paula Goering - Director Health Systems Research and Consulting Unit)

• Ontario Peer Development Initiative (Shawn Lauzon - Executive Director).

• Centre for Community Based Research (Joanna Ochocka - Executive Director, Rich Janzen - Senior Researcher)

The purpose of the study was to examine the activities and impacts of CSIs on new members (individual-level) and the communities within which the CSIs exist (systems-levels). 

At the time of this study, there were almost 60 CSIs in Ontario.  The researchers and partners selected four organizations to participate in the study: Cambridge Active Self Help (CASH), Waterloo Region Self Help (WRSH), Mental Health Rights Coalition of Hamilton, and Consumer/Survivor Initiatives of Niagara Region.  A steering committee of researchers and CSI representatives guided the project.  A research team including professional and Consumer/Survivor researchers implemented the evaluation.

Steering Committee Members

Alex Troeger, Steering Committee Chair, Board of Member of WRSH

Lisa Gammage, Executive Director, Self Help Alliance CASH/WRSH

Judy Hoover, Executive Director, Consumer/Survivor Initiative of Niagara

Rich Janzen, Senior Researcher, Centre for Research and Education in Human Services

Shawn Lauzon, Executive Director, Ontario Peer Development Initiative

Geoff Nelson, Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University

Joanna Ochocka, Director, Centre for Research and Education in Human Services

Deborrah Sherman, Executive Director, Mental Health Rights Coalition of Hamilton

John Trainor, Director, Community Support and Research Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health 

Research Team

Robert Chapman, Research Assistant - Hamilton 
Rich Janzen, Senior Researcher 
Geoff Nelson, Principal Investigator 
Joanna Ochocka, Project Manager 
Kristen Roderick, Research Assistant - Kitchener/Waterloo, Cambridge 
Leah Sagloski, Research Assistant - Niagara 

Published Articles

Nelson, G., Janzen, R., Trainor, J. & Ochocka, J. (in press). Putting values into practice: Public policy and the future of mental health consumer-run organizations. American Journal of Community Psychology. Special issue on consumer self help.

Nelson, G., Ochocka, J., Janzen, R., Trainor, J.Goering, P., &Lomotey, J.(2007). A Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Initiatives: Outcome at Three Year Follow Up.Journal of Community Psychology, 35(5),655-665.

Janzen, R., Nelson, G., Hausfather, N. & Ochocka, J. (2007). Capturing system level activities and impacts of consumer-run organizations: Methods that inform future action. American Journal of Community Psychology. Special issue on systems change evaluation, 39, 287-299.

Nelson, G., Ochocka, J., Janzen, R., & Trainor, J. (2006). A longitudinal study of mental health consumer/survivor initiatives: Part I - Literature review and overview of the study. Journal of Community Psychology, 34,247-260.

Nelson, G., Ochocka, J., Janzen, R., & Trainor, J. (2006). A longitudinal study of mental health consumer/survivor initiatives: Part II - A quantitative study of impacts on new members. Journal of Community Psychology, 34, 261-272.

Ochocka, J., Nelson, G., Janzen, R., & Trainor, J. (2006). A longitudinal study of mental health consumer/survivor initiatives: Part III - A qualitative study of impacts on new members. Journal of Community Psychology, 34, 273-283.

Janzen, R., Nelson, G., Trainor, J., & Ochocka, J. (2006). A longitudinal study of mental health consumer/survivor initiatives: Part IV - Benefits beyond the self? A quantitative and qualitative study of system-level activities and impacts. Journal of Community Psychology, 34, 285-303.

Goering, P., Durbin, J., Sheldon, T., Ochocka, J., Nelson, G. & Krupa, T. (2006). Who uses consumer-run self-help organizations? American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76(3),367-373.

Ochocka, J., Nelson, G. & Janzen, R. (2005). Moving forward: Negotiating self and external circumstances in recovery.Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 28, 315-322.

Sundar, P. & Ochocka, J. (2005). Bridging the gap between dreams and realities related to employment and mental health: Implications for policy and practice. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 23, 75-89.

Aubry, T. & Ochocka, J. (2005) (Eds). Special Issue on Community Mental Health. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 19(3).

Choma, B. (2005). Book review: Shifting the paradigm in community mental health. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 19(3).

Nelson, G., Ochocka, J., Janzen, R., Trainor, J. & Lauzon, S. (2005). A comprehensive evaluation framework for mental health consumer/survivor organizations: Values, conceptualization, design, and action. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation. 19(3), 29-53.

Nelson, G., Ochocka, J., Lauzon, S., Towndrow, J. & Cheng, R. (2005). Disseminating the findings of a longitudinal study of mental health consumer/survivor initiatives in Ontario. The Community Psychologist. 38(2), 41-43.

Dewa, C., Durbin, J., Wasylenki, D., Ochocka, J., Eastabrook, S., Boydell, K., & Goering, P. (2002). Considering a Multisite Study? How to Take the leap and Have a Soft Landing. Journal of Community Psychology, 30(2), 173-187. 

For more information on community mental health issues based on our previous research please consult the following published articles/books: 

Shifting the Paradigm in Community Mental Health.  Nelson, G., Lord, J., & Ochocka, J. (2001).  Toronto: University of Toronto Press

Ochocka, J., Janzen, R. & Nelson, G. (2002). Sharing power and Knowledge: Professional and Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Researchers Working Together in a Participatory Action Research Project. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 25(4), 379-387. 

Reeve, P., Cornell, S., D'Costa, B., Janzen, R. & Ochocka, J. (2002). From Our Perspective: Consumer Researchers Speak About Their Experience in a Community Mental Health Research Project. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 25(4), 403-408. 

Nelson, G., Ochocka, J., Griffin, K., & Lord, J. (1998). Nothing about me, Without Me: Participatory Action Research with Self-Help/Mutual Aid Organizations for Psychiatric Consumer/Survivors. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26, 881-912.