title: On a shoestring: a consumer-based source of personpower for mental health education.
abstract: This paper outlines a program for promoting mental health in the population by "giving away our skills" as mental health professionals. This kind of program can be started on a shoestring by a community mental health center, family service agency, or adult education program. It consists of teaching parent-child communication courses, with selected parents then becoming instructors to build a network of nonprofessional personpower. The paper explores strategies of setting up programs. It explores the shifting role of the professional toward a colleague relationship with nonprofessionals. Finally, it presents research on the program's effectiveness with parents and the impact on the lives and self-images of the nonprofessional instructors themselves.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D008604:Mental Health Associations; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D011635:Public Health Administration; D000078329:Workforce