title: Sorting it out: Eliciting consumer priorities for recovery in supportive housing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to understand participant priorities in their personal recovery journey and their perspectives of recovery domains.
  
  
  METHODS
  A card sort data gathering technique was employed to elicit priorities in recovery from consumers in supportive housing programs serving formerly homeless adults with severe mental illnesses in New York City. Participants (N=38) were asked to sort 12 cards printed with recovery domains in order of importance and describe the meaning attached to each domain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mental health (95%), physical health (89%), and housing (92%) were the domains most frequently included and prioritized in the top three rankings. Family (76%) and partner (74%) were also frequently included and endorsed as most important second only to mental health. Housing was prioritized yet rated most important less often (58%). Work, school, hobbies, program, friends and neighborhood were less frequently endorsed. 'Card sort talk' revealed critical understanding of participants' priorities and their reasons for endorsing other domains less frequently.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most important to participants was regaining functional independence through improved mental and physical health and access to housing. With underlying principles of efficiency and empowerment, card sort is a promising engagement technique for providers to elicit consumer priorities in their own recovery.
authors.affiliation: New York University, Silver School of Social Work, 20 Cooper Square, New York, 10003 United States.
authors.forename: Mimi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Choy-Brown
authors.affiliation: New York University, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Padgett
authors.affiliation: New York University, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Bikki
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: New York University, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Emmy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tiderington