Throughout the System Restructuring Initiative, the Department of Human Services/Division of Mental Health (DHS/DMH) has sought to encourage and support participation and input from individuals receiving services (consumers) and families of children
and adolescents receiving services (families).
This has included:
- outreach and participation of consumers and families for all committees and workgroups,
- financial support for consumer and family time and travel related to the effort,
- and other consumer outreach efforts.
Recognizing that even best efforts for inclusion of consumers in scheduled meetings were only reaching a relatively small segment of the overall consumer pool, the Services Work Group of the System Restructuring Initiative recommended that consumer
focus groups be held state-wide to assist in identifying priorities and service preferences.
As a result, the Summary of Consumer Focus Groups (pdf) report summarizes the process, key findings, and potential impacts of the
voices heard in these focus groups.
