NCJ Number
244650
Journal
Social Work in Mental Health Volume: 11 Issue: 1-6 Dated: November-December 2013 Pages: 1-15
Date Published
November 2013
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examined consumer-operated-service programs (COSPs) in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Abstract
The literature on consumer-operated-service programs (COSPs) distinguishes two organizational types based on their leadership styles: the self-help agency (SHA)-participant democracy and the board-staff-run COSP. This study considers whether the characteristics of these two organizational leadership styles are recognized by members and whether these characteristics are associated with membership degree of empowerment. Two-hundred and fifty new entrants to 5 COSP drop-in centers rated the programs' leadership style using the COPES System Maintenance Scale and assessed their own empowerment on four empowerment measures. ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests were used to evaluate differences between settings; MANCOVA to assess differences in member empowerment. COSP system maintenance differences distinguished the two organizational types (p less than .000). SHA-participant democracy members scored significantly better than board-staff-run program members on three of the four empowerment measures. SHA-participant democracies, with a lower focus on system maintenance, and an emphasis on power sharing between staff and non-staff members, appeared to more effectively use organizational decisionmaking processes to empower their members. Abstract published by arrangement with Taylor and Francis.