Best practices: recovery centers for people with a mental illness: an emerging best practice?

The authors report a process evaluation that used rigorous qualitative methods consistent with best practice to assess the development and impact of a nascent recovery center in the New York City area. The center successfully delivered services that focused on helping increasing numbers of consumers achieve educational and functional improvements. Consumers perceived the center as providing a strong sense of community while also serving as a "stepping stone" to wider opportunities. Because they offer a feasible and popular means to help individuals with mental illness acquire skills, recovery centers may be an emerging best practice. Further research is necessary to test their efficacy.