The Organizational Assimilation of Consumer Providers: A Quantitative Examination

Abstract Using multiple measures of organizational commitment and a measure of perceived organizational support, this study examined the degree of assimilation of consumer providers within the New Jersey psychiatric rehabilitation workforce. Both consumer and non-consumer staff were surveyed and compared on all measures. Four hundred and thirty five staff from 22 programs providing psychiatric rehabilitation services completed the survey. Fifteen percent of respondents (n = 64) identified themselves as consumers of mental health services. Results indicated that consumer providers felt more supported by their employers than did non-consumer providers. In addition, consumer providers reported greater levels of some types of organizational commitment than their non-consumer colleagues. In no case did non-consumer providers report higher organizational commitment or organizational support. Several possible explanations for these findings are discussed.