OMH uses the Consumer Assessment of Care Survey (CACS) to obtain assessments from adult consumers who participate in non-residential community mental health service programs operated by New York's 17 adult state psychiatric centers. Participating programs represent all regions of New York, are of various sizes, and included a diverse range of demographic groups.
Outpatient and Support Programs Included in the CACS
The CACS is administered anonymously in paper and Web-based versions. The paper version is offered in English, Spanish, Korean, Russian and Traditional Chinese with sealable envelopes available to ensure confidentiality. The Web-based version is located on a secure OMH Intranet site overseen by the South Beach State Psychiatric Center and was available in English only.
Peers and staff in all five OMH regions received training on both paper and Web-based survey administration from the OMH Office of Consumer Affairs. There is substantial variation in administration of the paper surveys among facilities including: who distributed surveys to consumers; who assisted consumers in completing surveys when needed; and who collected completed surveys. Although some programs reported that peers assisted with the survey administration, in the majority of programs only staff administered the surveys.
