TY - JOUR
T1 - Outsourcing mental health care services? The practice and potential of community-based farms in psychiatric rehabilitation
AU - Iancu, S.C.
AU - Zweekhorst, M.B.M.
AU - Veltman, D.J.
AU - van Balkom, A.J.L.M.
AU - Bunders-Aelen, J.G.F.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Psychiatric rehabilitation supports individuals with mental disorders to acquire the skills needed for independent lives in communities. This article assesses the potential of outsourcing psychiatric rehabilitation by analysing care farm services in the Netherlands. Service characteristics were analysed across 214 care farms retrieved from a national database. Qualitative insights were provided by five case descriptions, selected from 34 interviews. Institutional care farms were significantly larger and older than private care farms (comprising 88.8 % of all care farms). Private, independent care farms provide real-life work conditions to users who are relatively less impaired. Private, contracted care farms tailor the work activities to their capacities and employ professional supervisors. Institutional care farms accommodate for the most vulnerable users. We conclude that collaborations with independent, contracted and institutional care farms would provide mental health care organizations with a diversity in services, enhanced community integration and a better match with users’ rehabilitation needs.
AB - Psychiatric rehabilitation supports individuals with mental disorders to acquire the skills needed for independent lives in communities. This article assesses the potential of outsourcing psychiatric rehabilitation by analysing care farm services in the Netherlands. Service characteristics were analysed across 214 care farms retrieved from a national database. Qualitative insights were provided by five case descriptions, selected from 34 interviews. Institutional care farms were significantly larger and older than private care farms (comprising 88.8 % of all care farms). Private, independent care farms provide real-life work conditions to users who are relatively less impaired. Private, contracted care farms tailor the work activities to their capacities and employ professional supervisors. Institutional care farms accommodate for the most vulnerable users. We conclude that collaborations with independent, contracted and institutional care farms would provide mental health care organizations with a diversity in services, enhanced community integration and a better match with users’ rehabilitation needs.
U2 - 10.1007/s10597-014-9742-7
DO - 10.1007/s10597-014-9742-7
M3 - Article
SN - 0010-3853
VL - 51
SP - 175
EP - 184
JO - Community Mental Health Journal
JF - Community Mental Health Journal
IS - 2
ER -