Matthew Johnsen, PhD, Center for Mental Health Services Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, Gregory B. Teague, PhD, Department of Mental Health Health Law & Policy, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, 813-974-7185, teague@fmhi.usf.edu, and Elizabeth C. McDonel Herr, PhD, Community Support Program Branch, SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services, Room 11C-22 Parklawn Bldg, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

The Consumer-Operated Services Program (COSP) multisite study was funded by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration between 1998-2004. COSP’s major study question was to evaluate the impact of adding peer-run services to traditional mental health services, as compared to receiving traditional services alone in a randomized controlled study. Eight peer-run services programs across the country participated. As a critical element of the study design, program elements were carefully documented. One tool developed for this purpose was the Fidelity Assessment/ Common Ingredients Tool (FACIT). Development, structure and psychometric properties of the FACIT will be presented. FACIT was developed with extensive consumer input, and provides an excellent example of a consumer-researcher collaboration. Using the FACIT, we will present information that contrasts consumer operated and traditional mental health services. We will also describe plans for further evaluating the validity of the FACIT using data from the COSP study. Potential utility of the FACIT as a fidelity tool to replicate programs or to gauge the commonality of peer-run programs with one another will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• To understand the importance of measuring program implementation/program fidelity in multisite studies.
• To understand the steps that one undertakes in developing a program fidelity measure.
• To learn about the common ingredients of consumer operated programs.
• To understand differences between consumer operated and traditional mental health services.

Keywords: Consumer Rights, Adult and Child Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.