Although consumers are increasingly hired as mental health workers, they ty
pically fulfill demanding jobs such as case manager, This study examined th
e performance and job satisfaction of 18 consumers with serious mental illn
ess who were hired for less demanding work-to conduct highly structured int
erviews with their peers. The consumers completed interviews with 243 peers
, Only one interviewer was unable to perform the work, Ninety percent of th
e interviews were completed satisfactorily. Interviewers reported increased
skills and knowledge, improved self-assurance, and feelings of pride. Resu
lts of the study suggest that a wide range of consumers can pet-form struct
ured treatment tasks.