c/o McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, de Marneffe Building, Belmont MA 02478
Tel. 617 855-3298     -    Fax 617 855-3666    -     Email resctr@tiac.net
Supported in part by McLean Hospital and Partners Psychiatry and Mental Health

 

COLE CENTER SERVICES

Advocacy       Media Outreach     Education & Training

Consumer Continuing Education Network

Advocacy

Advocacy is at the heart of Cole Center activities. Providing assistance in obtaining benefits or in the resolution of work-related issues can empower consumers to advocate not only for themselves, but for others.

The Cole Center is engaged in consumer advocacy at many different levels. On a personal level, an individual may be helped to secure benefits; and on a state level, the rights of all consumers may be promoted through rallies and letter-writing campaigns. The Cole Center considers statewide advocacy an important endeavor.

The Cole Center is very active and successful in advocating for mental health parity and access to an open prescription formulary for all consumers regardless of their health plan. The Cole Center continues to write newspaper opinion pieces in support of better healthcare coverage from insurance companies and managed care companies.

Media Outreach

The Cole Center works closely with the news media to create and develop news stories about psychiatric illness. This cooperation has led to articles in the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, The Lowell Sun, the TAB Newspapers, the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, and the Harvard Business Review. The Cole Center also has participated in segments informing the public about psychiatric illness on the Discovery channel, 20/20, and Good Morning America.

Education & Training

The Cole Center educated not only the general public and consumers, but also physicians-in-training, nurses and social workers. Members of the Cole Center actively participate in the training program for psychiatric residents throughout the Partners HealthCare system. Cole Center members present lectures on many topics associated with mental illness, such as social stigma and doctor-client relationships. As part of their education, residents observe consumer-led groups set up by the Cole Center on inpatient units, as well as attending teaching interviews conducted by specialists with consumer volunteers arranged by the Cole Center. This training methods not only models effective interviewing skills, but also affords the trainees an opportunity to pose questions directly to the consumers.

 

updated: February 19, 2006        Contact webmaster