title: Consumers' and providers' perspectives about consumer participation in drug treatment services: is there support to do more? What are the obstacles?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Implementing consumer participation initiatives in Australian drug treatment services successfully is predicated on the support of those most centrally involved. This paper describes service providers' and consumers' (1) beliefs about and commitment to consumer participation; and (2) perceived barriers to conducting or participating in consumer participation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from 64 providers and 179 consumers of drug treatment services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data showed that almost all consumers (89.9%, n = 161) and providers (84.4%, n = 54) believed in the principle of consumer participation (that consumers' views should be included in service planning and delivery) and a large proportion would be willing to conduct or participate in consumer participation activities in future. Providers were less supportive of activities in which consumers would be involved in decision-making that relates directly to staff (such as staff training, recruitment and performance appraisal), and expressed concerns about the practicality of operationalising such activities, the inadequacy of consumers' skills, consumers' lack of interest and the appropriateness of having consumers involved in such decision-making. A small proportion of consumers also indicated that they did not want to participate, expressing beliefs that it was not their place to be involved and that they lacked the required skills.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, these findings revealed that there was considerable support for the further development of consumer participation in drug treatment services, but the predominant obstacle was the view that it is not consumers' place to take part, and that they lack the interest and skills to do so.
authors.affiliation: National Centre in HIV Social Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia. j.bryant@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saxton
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Madden
authors.forename: Nicky
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bath
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia; D003256:Community Participation / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012944:Social Support; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000078329:Workforce