Testimony from Rita Cronise, Peer and Family Communications Specialist, and Karina Churchill, Peer and Family Coordinator, Western New York Care Coordination Program
Vital Signs of Recovery
If recovery is different for every person, how do you measure recovery?
In seeking to answer this question, the Western New York Care Coordination Program identified elements of mental health recovery most people could agree upon to create the Vital Signs of Recovery. This series of quick self-assessments can be used to measure the health of an organization in providing recovery services, much like taking a pulse, temperature, and blood pressure can be used to measure the health of an individual.
Three Vital Signsassessments were created to gain the different perspectives of:
- Recipients of service
- Providers of service
- Organizational leaders
The indicators of recovery were based on input from adult peer and family advisory groups, mental health providers, and county mental health departments. The recipient and provider versions were designed with parallel questions so differing perceptions could be recognized and explored, leading to better services and outcomes.
Data entry sheets provided on the website allow organizations to quickly compile results of the assessments to create a baseline of impressions about recovery services that can be used to measure ongoing progress in improving these services over time.
The assessments and data entry sheets are free and available on the Western New York Care Coordination Program website at http://www.carecoordination.org/resources_forms.shtm 
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Recommended Reading
Recommended reading for mental health change efforts:
Treichler DH. (2004). The Six Sigma path to leadership: Observations from the trenches. Milwaukee: Quality Press.
Chapter 2
The quick and the dead – the role of quantum leaders (quantum leader vs. change agents)
Chapter 16
Tactical transformation (workshops)
Comments or questions about the information on this page can be directed to the Office of Planning.