title: What we are like when we are at our best: Appreciative stories of staff in a community mental health center.
abstract: Appreciative Inquiry is an organizational change methodology that discovers what works well in an organization and then pursues strategies to enhance those factors. The initial discovery process itself provides data ripe for qualitative analysis. Narratives were collected from 27 community mental health staff about times when they were at their best. An emergent, consensus-based analysis was used to understand the stories and exemplary work -- with competent, caring staff and elements needed to support them. Findings are discussed in light of self-determination theory that people are at their best with a sense of mastery, connection, and autonomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI); Co-Director, ACT Center of Indiana.
authors.forename: Michelle P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Salyers
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Firmin
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Services, Four County Counseling Center, Logansport, IN.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gearhart
authors.affiliation: Four County Counseling Center, Logansport, IN.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Avery
authors.affiliation: Medicine and Geriatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine; Director, Mary Margaret Walther Center for Research and Education in Palliative Care, IU/Simon Cancer Center; Associate Director, Center for Implementing Evidence-Based Practice, Richard L. Roudebush, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Frankel
keywords: Appreciative Inquiry; community mental health; self-determination theory