A community ability scale for chronically mentally ill consumers: Part II. Applications

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Mental Health Services Research
• Health Outcomes Measurement

Background:

• Chronically mentally ill individuals living in the community require effective functional assessment tools.
• Existing instruments may not adequately capture the nuances of functioning for this population.
• Case managers need efficient and reliable measures to guide treatment and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and describe the Multnomah Community Ability Scale (MCAS) as an efficient instrument for measuring functioning.
• To highlight the scale's utility for case managers working with chronically mentally ill consumers.
• To explore the application of the MCAS in diverse community mental health contexts.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 17-item instrument, the Multnomah Community Ability Scale (MCAS).
• Assessment of the scale's sensitivity to individual differences within the target population.
• Evaluation of ease of completion and reliability after training community mental health program staff.

Main Results:

• The MCAS is a 17-item instrument that efficiently measures functioning in chronically mentally ill individuals.
• The scale demonstrates sensitivity to individual differences and is easy for case managers to complete.
• Community mental health staff can be trained to use the MCAS reliably.

Conclusions:

• The Multnomah Community Ability Scale (MCAS) is a valuable tool for assessing functioning in community-based, chronically mentally ill populations.
• The scale's reliability and ease of use support its implementation in clinical practice and program evaluation.
• Potential applications include comparing urban and rural client severity and informing capitated payment systems for involuntary clients.