Mental health recovery is emerging as a central philosophy in every institution providing mental health services across the world.  However, in order to implement effective and efficient programs and policies that focus on recovery, it is important to understand how recover happens. 

     This understanding involves more than outcomes monitoring; it requires that the indicators be used in a way that will increase our understanding and do not lead us in unexpected directions.  Therefore, it is important that mental health stakeholders recognize the impact that outcomes monitoring can have on programs and be aware of their unwanted influence.

     In this paper we describe the measurement tools, methodological techniques (quantitative and qualitative), and outcome reporting systems currently used at the Mental Health Cener of Denver in the United States, that are helping us to investigate critical research questions about what drives recovery.  The article concludes by discussing how we are using the information we have gathered to develop programs and policies that help people recover, as well as use resources more efficiently.

 

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