MSS Family Engagement Survey

Do you have an adult loved one who has received mental health services in Winnipeg in the past 3 years? We’d like to know about your experiences as a family member!

Meaningful family involvement is a crucial part of our loved one’s recovery from a mental illness. Research shows there are many benefits to family involvement. It is an evidence based practise.

The purpose of this survey is to gain feedback from family members regarding their experience of family involvement with Winnipeg mental health services. It is intended to be completed by a family member who has an adult loved one with a mental illness. The term family member refers to anyone who is family or is considered by the individual with the mental illness to be like family and who provides care and support. Family members have initiated this survey in consultation with mental health service providers. The Manitoba Schizophrenia Society is the sponsor. This survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. The results will be posted to the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society web site.

This survey is an opportunity to provide information and feedback about your experience as a family member. Manitoba’s health system recognizes the importance of having people with lived experience and family members actively engaged in providing feedback about services. It is the hope that data and comments collected will have a positive effect in improving family engagement practises in adult mental health services. The results from this survey may also be used to influence policy at the government level and for staff education and training. The aggregate data will be shared with WRHA Adult Mental Health Program, Mental Health and Addictions branch of the Manitoba Government and the MSS board members.

Please do not include any identifying information in the answers to questions 11, 15 and 16 as these answers will be shared verbatim. If time allows please fill out a separate survey for each hospital admission/program your loved one has been involved with during the past 3 years.

Thank you in advance for filling out this survey.

Contact joshua@mss.mb.ca for technical difficulties or questions about the survey.

* 1. Please indicate the approximate date that your loved one received help from a mental health service in Winnipeg.

Date / Time

* 2. Indicate which Winnipeg Service your loved one has been involved with in the last 3 years. (Please tick only one box per survey.)

Hospital inpatient unit

Hospital outpatient program

Emergency Department

Crisis Response Center (CRC)

Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU)

Mobile Crisis

Community program ( WRHA)

Other Mental Health Service (ex: Seneca House, MSS, CMHA)

* 3. Personal contact with the service providers was: (Please check the best answer)

Initiated early on by the service providers ( within the first few hours/days)

Initiated by the service providers much later in the program/treatment.

I initiated the contact with the service providers and it was welcomed and further contact encouraged.

I tried to initiate contact with the service providers; however, it was not welcomed and I felt discouraged about further contact.

There was no contact between myself and the service providers although I would have liked that.

There was no contact and I did not want contact.

Other (please specify)

* 4. Were you asked/able to provide important (collateral) information to the service providers about your loved one? (Please check the best answer)

I was asked to provide information initially and throughout my loved one’s involvement with the service.

I was asked at one point to provide information.

I was not asked; however I volunteered information.

I tried/wanted to provide information, but I was not given an opportunity to do so. Skip to question 6

I did not want to provide information. Skip to question 6

* 5. If you did provide information did you feel that the information you provided was valued and that you were heard? (Please check only one)

I felt heard and that the information I provided was valued.

I did not feel heard or that the information I provided was valued.

* 6. Was confidentiality discussed and was what could be shared clarified? (Please check the best answer)

It was discussed initially, clarified and revisited throughout my loved one’s care.

It was discussed at one point, but not revisited.

Confidentiality was never discussed.

* 7. Were you helped to understand the behaviors/diagnosis of your loved one? (Please check the best answer)

The behaviours/diagnosis was explained in a way I could understand.

The behaviours/diagnosis was shared, but not explained in a way I could understand.

The behaviours/diagnosis was not shared with me.

Due to confidentiality reasons I was given general information about my loved one’s condition.

* 8. Were the roles of the team members discussed regarding how each would support and promote your loved one’s recovery? (Please check the best answer)

The roles of the team members and how they would promote recovery were explained.

The roles of the team members were explained; however it was not explained how they would promote recovery.

Neither the roles of the team members nor how they would promote recovery were explained.

Due to confidentiality restrictions I was given general information on the kinds of things I might expect of the team members.

* 9. Did you feel included as a member of the team? (Please check the best answer)

I felt included throughout the time of my loved one’s involvement with the service.

I felt included periodically.

I did not feel included at all by the staff members.

Due to confidentiality restrictions I was not able to participate as a team member.

* 10. Was your role discussed regarding how you could support your loved one’s recovery? (Please check the best answer)

I was helped to understand how to help support my loved one’s recovery. This was reviewed from time to time as changes were needed.

My role was discussed in supporting my loved one’s recovery; however, it was not reviewed as changes were needed.

My role as a caregiver was not discussed. I was not given information on how I could support my loved one’s recovery.

Due to confidentiality reasons I was given general information on the kinds of things that might be helpful in supporting my loved one’s recovery.

* 11. Were you provided with personal support from the team and / or information on community resources that would help support you in your role as the caregiver? (Please check the best answer)

I was provided with personal support for my needs as a caregiver and given contact information for community resources.

I was provided with contact information for community resources for caregivers by the team members. My needs were not discussed.

My needs were discussed; however, I was not provided with contact information for community resources.

My needs were not discussed and I was not given any community resource information by the team members.

I found my own support or I found my own information. Please give details:

* 12. Was the personal support provided helpful? (Please check only one)

Yes

It was not provided

* 13. Was the contact information helpful?

Yes

It was not provided

* 14. Overall, during your loved one’s involvement with the service selected at the beginning of this questionnaire, how would you rate your experience as a family member? (Please select the best answer)

Very good

Neither Good or Bad

Terrible

* 15. Reminder: Please do not include any indentifying information in your answers.

What did you find most helpful to you as a family member in what the staff of the service provided to you? Please provide as much information as you can about what you received and how it was helpful.