Managed care and recovery: Opportunities and challenges for psychiatric nursing

The current crisis in mental health services is related to the “bottom line” focus of managed care. This trend as well as the consumer-led recovery movement challenge psyciatric nurses in both educational and clinical settings to carefully examine their knowledge, skills, and attitudes and to develop new partnerships with consumers in nontraditional settings to promote quality. The development of consumer-run peer support services serves as a model of consumer/professional partnerships.