title: Knowledge transfer, policymaking and community empowerment: a consensus model approach for providing public mental health and substance abuse services.
abstract: An important problem in creating new programs and policies is how to encourage the transfer of knowledge in non-hierarchical ways so that new, relevant and specific knowledge is co-created by all interested parties. In this paper, we suggest that a consensus model of policymaking is one response and identify four key structural elements thought necessary for creating such a consensus infrastructure. These are a) a leadership and facilitating capacity for initiating and promoting such an endeavor, b) a network or consortium of key researchers, practitioners, consumers, and policymakers to empower community ownership of the endeavor, c) a process for consensus building and strategic problem-solving for such a consortium, and d) the continued creation of a multi-directional dialogue through information dissemination. We examine these elements in action by describing a particular problem solving and consensus building model for developing and implementing a program, resolving group differences, and evaluating the group's process and products.
authors: Institute Against Violence, New York University, 838 Broadway, 3rd Fl., New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Broner
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Franczak
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Dye
authors: W
authors: W
authors: McAllister
mesh_terms: D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003256:Community Participation; D003657:Decision Making; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D011050:Policy Making; D011340:Problem Solving; D011634:Public Health; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014481:United States