The good, the bad, and the severely mentally ill: Official and informal labels as organizational resources in community mental health services.
Research on labeling mental illness has focused relatively little attention on practical organizational concerns in the process of labeling in community mental health services. This paper examines this issue through an ethnographic study of two multi-service community mental health services organizations for people labeled severely and persistently mentally ill in the Midwest United States. The findings show that the labeling process is structured by cultural and policy environments in which mental health services are able to provide resources otherwise difficult to obtain. Within organizations, official labels can be applied for reasons other than clinical practice; they channel resources to both organizations and clients. Informal organizational labels regarding client mental illness are not tethered to the bureaucratic apparatus granting access to and paying for services. Instead, they reflect workers' real assessments of clients, which can differ from official ones. These informal labels determine how organizations deal with clients when rules and routines are violated.
Dobransky
Kerry
K
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, United States. kerry.dobransky@gmail.com
D001741:Black or African American; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006295:Health Resources / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000208:ethnology; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000145:classification*; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D012931:Social Environment; D014481:United States; D044465:White People