OBJECTIVES: Unmet needs for depression and substance abuse services are a concern in urban communities. This article summarizes the design and recommendations of the Restoration Center Planning Project to better address depression and substance abuse while promoting resiliency and wellness for persons of African descent in South Los Angeles. DESIGN: A partnered participatory planning process during 18 months involving community members, faith-based and service agency leaders, and investigators from academic organizations was implemented. Leaders formulated a set of principles to address diversity of the group, hosted community conferences and working groups, while developing recommendations. RESULTS: The community-academic partnership recommended the establishment of restoration centers in Los Angeles (RCLAs) that would serve as a one-stop shop for holistic services addressing depression, substance abuse, related social and spiritual needs, and coordinated care with a network of existing community-based services. Specific recommendations included that the RCs would aim to: 1) support community resilience and improve outcomes for depression and substance abuse; 2) be one-stop shops; 3) promote cultural competency; 4) facilitate ongoing community input and quality review; 5) assure standards of quality within centers and across the broader network; and 6) support the enterprise through a multi-stakeholder community-based board dedicated to RCLA goals. CONCLUSION: A community-academic partnered planning process acknowledged the importance of respect for diversity and formulated plans for the Restoration Center network including the integration of health, social, cultural, and faith-based approaches to services with a multi-agency network and community leadership board. The feasibility of the plan will depend on the subsequent implementation phase.
OBJECTIVES: Unmet needs for depression and substance abuse services are a concern in urban communities. This article summarizes the design and recommendations of the Restoration Center Planning Project to better address depression and substance abuse while promoting resiliency and wellness for persons of African descent in South Los Angeles. DESIGN: A partnered participatory planning process during 18 months involving community members, faith-based and service agency leaders, and investigators from academic organizations was implemented. Leaders formulated a set of principles to address diversity of the group, hosted community conferences and working groups, while developing recommendations. RESULTS: The community-academic partnership recommended the establishment of restoration centers in Los Angeles (RCLAs) that would serve as a one-stop shop for holistic services addressing depression, substance abuse, related social and spiritual needs, and coordinated care with a network of existing community-based services. Specific recommendations included that the RCs would aim to: 1) support community resilience and improve outcomes for depression and substance abuse; 2) be one-stop shops; 3) promote cultural competency; 4) facilitate ongoing community input and quality review; 5) assure standards of quality within centers and across the broader network; and 6) support the enterprise through a multi-stakeholder community-based board dedicated to RCLA goals. CONCLUSION: A community-academic partnered planning process acknowledged the importance of respect for diversity and formulated plans for the Restoration Center network including the integration of health, social, cultural, and faith-based approaches to services with a multi-agency network and community leadership board. The feasibility of the plan will depend on the subsequent implementation phase.
Authors: K B Wells; C Sherbourne; M Schoenbaum; N Duan; L Meredith; J Unützer; J Miranda; M F Carney; L V Rubenstein Journal: JAMA Date: 2000-01-12 Impact factor: 56.272