CONSUMERS AS COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROVIDERS - ISSUES CREATED BY ROLE INNOVATION

Using data from a CSP-funded research demonstration project designed t o expand vocational services offered by case management teams serving people with serious mental illness, this paper examines the issues cre ated by employing consumers as peer support specialists for the projec t. Roles and benefits of these positions are analyzed. Challenges expe rienced by specialists created by serving peers, the structure of the position, the mental health system and the community, and personal iss ues are analyzed using data from focus groups and the project's manage ment information system. Implications for consumer role definition, su pports for role effectiveness, and the structuring of these types of p ositions are discussed.