Persons in Recovery, Family Members, and Staff Perspectives of Psychiatric Crisis Needs

The current study was undertaken to identify stakeholder perceptions of their experiences with mental health crisis services throughout this northeastern state for administrators to use for program planning and development. A semistructured survey of opinions regarding current and proposed crisis management services of consumers, family members, and staff was conducted in the northeastern United States. They report that individuals in psychiatric crisis continue to be offered primarily medication changes and hospitalization. They also reported they would prefer the availability of additional services including professional support in person, on the phone, and in their homes. Implications for systems transformation and program development are discussed.