title: Leadership and characteristics of nonprofit mental health peer-run organizations nationwide.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mental health peer-run organizations are nonprofits providing venues for support and advocacy among people diagnosed as having mental disorders. It has been proposed that consumer involvement is essential to their operations. This study reported organizational characteristics of peer-run organizations nationwide and how these organizations differ by degree of consumer control.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were from the 2012 National Survey of Peer-Run Organizations. The analyses described the characteristics of the organizations (N=380) on five domains of nonprofit research, comparing results for organizations grouped by degree of involvement by consumers in the board of directors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Peer-run organizations provided a range of supports and educational and advocacy activities and varied in their capacity and resources. Some variation was explained by the degree of consumer control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These organizations seemed to be operating consistently with evidence on peer-run models. The reach of peer-run organizations, and the need for in-depth research, continues to grow.
authors: Dr. Ostrow is with the Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (e-mail: lostrow2@jhu.edu ). Ms. Hayes is with the School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley.
authors: Laysha
authors: L
authors: Ostrow
authors: Stephania L
authors: SL
authors: Hayes
mesh_terms: D003256:Community Participation; D003255:Consumer Organizations / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009939:Organizations, Nonprofit / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010379:Peer Group; D012944:Social Support
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