Subject(s)
Career Mobility , Leadership , Professional Role , Public Health Administration , Research Personnel , HumansABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We describe an intervention aimed at improving the quality of care delivered by forensic clinicians and at exposing them to the principles of client-centered care. METHOD: Thirty-five forensic clinicians belonging to various professional disciplines participated in a day-long, multi-modal training developed with the help of former residents of a maximum-security forensic hospital. The main components of the training included a 1.5-hour simulation during which participants role-played being hospital residents, a video on discrimination, and a panel discussion with several of the former hospital residents. RESULTS: Participants rated the training as very relevant to their work, very worthy of being recommended to their peers, and as a profoundly positive and enriching experience. The benefits derived from the training included greater connectedness among the staff and better understanding of the patients' experiences. CONCLUSION: Factors that appear to have contributed to the success of the training sessions include administrative support, use of a multi-modal approach, and use of small groups.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence/standards , Forensic Psychiatry/education , Forensic Psychiatry/standards , Patient Participation/methods , Quality of Health Care/standards , Role Playing , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Participation/psychology , Patient-Centered Care/methods , Patient-Centered Care/standards , Prejudice , Videotape RecordingABSTRACT
As a population, persons with serious mental illness (SMI) have an elevated risk for HIV infection. However, relatively little is known about how the risk of HIV has affected their lives, how persons with SMI evaluate their HIV risk, and what preventive measures they undertake. Furthermore, relatively little is known about community-based HIV prevention for persons with SMI as most interventions have been restricted to clinical settings. This report presents findings on the HIV-related experiences of persons with SMI living in supportive housing programs, one possible setting for implementing community-based HIV prevention with this population. The qualitative investigation interviewed 41 men and women living in five supportive housing programs. In-depth, qualitative interviews elicited discussion of research participants' (a) experiences with HIV, (b) knowledge about HIV and HIV prevention, (c) assessments of their own risk, (d) descriptions of how they apply their prevention knowledge, and (e) reports of barriers for HIV prevention. Research participants describe social networks that have substantial contact with persons affected by HIV. However, contrary to some expectations of persons with SMI, research participants report using HIV prevention knowledge in negotiating their risk of contracting HIV. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of their relevance for implementing community-based HIV prevention for persons with SMI.
