The relationship between mental health and public health has been debated for decades. But when services are delivered through publically funded mental health clinics, it clearly becomes a public health endeavor. One of the latest trends in mental health service delivery is the recovery concept. Developed in the 1990’s, the recovery concept represents a paradigm shift where successful treatment is defined by self-awareness, self-care, and self-fulfillment. Furthermore, patients are encouraged to assess their own progress in the recovery process. There are currently nine unique assessment tools to measure recovery progress, including the Mental Health Recovery Measure (MHRM), which was used in this study. The current study followed the implementation of the recovery model in the DeKalb Community Service Board (DeKalb CSB). DeKalb CSB has 12 locations that serve 10,000 patients with mental illness, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities each year. Only patients with primary diagnoses of mental health or substance abuse disorders were considered for this study. Implementation of the MHRM began in December 2008 and included all DeKalb CSB patients, however only new DeKalb CSB patients were considered for this study. During 13 months of data collection 960 clients completed 2 assessments and 196 completed 3 assessments. A new consumer is defined as someone who has just completed the intake process and has no record of previous service at DeKalb CSB. The current study examined trends in MHRM data in the DeKalb CSB population; and offered recommendations for future implementation
