Using benchmarking research to locate agency best practices for African American clients

Using a collective case study design with benchmarking features, research reported here sought to locate differences in agency practices between public mental health agencies in which African American clients were doing comparatively better on specific proxy outcomes related to community tenure, and agencies with less success on those same variables. A panel of experts from the Ohio Department of Mental Health matched four agencies on per capita spending, percentage of African American clients, and urban-intensive setting. The panel also differentiated agencies on the basis of racial group comparisons for a number of proxy variables related to successful community tenure. Two agencies had a record of success with this client group (benchmark agencies); and two were less successful based on the selected criteria (comparison agencies). Findings indicated that when service elements explicitly related to culture were similar across study sites, the characteristics that did appear to make a difference were aspects of organizational culture. Implications for administration practice and further research are discussed.