A statewide assessment of mental health governing board training needs

This paper describes a statewide survey assessment of the training needs of governing board members and presents a demographic profile of governing board presidents. Presidents of the 55 governing boards in a consortium of state-funded, community-based mental health agencies were mailed questionnaires. They were asked to respond in terms of board rather than individual priorities. Forty-four questionnaires were returned representing 80% of the sample and 57% of all governing boards in the state. Seventy-one percent of the respondents were male and 55% were executives or managers. Their mean age was 45. Of the 10 needs assessment items, the two highest rated pertained to the financing of centers and knowledge of mental health legislation. Three areas of need emerged from a factor analysis: a board mandate factor, a board organization factor, and a planning and evaluation factor. The perceived training needs of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and Downstate Illinois were similar. The issue of effective citizen involvement vis-à-vis valid representation and appropriate training was discussed.