Stakeholders Copy

A stakeholder is a term to describe those people who have an interest in the topic or population you are addressing. Identifying the key stakeholders can help guide community education and capacity building.

Youth come in contact with specific services and programs and are in contact with certain sectors of a community. Identifying your community’s stakeholders would include identifying those individuals or services who may have an impact on youth and mental health care in general. You may want to review any community task force reports, planning documents or any education reports.

To guide your efforts consider the following:

• Who currently is impacted by psychosis, mental health or substance misuse? How?
• Who assists youth experiencing difficulties in each of the following sectors? 
  
  • Education
  • Health 
    
    • Crisis services
    • Treatment
    • Prevention
    • Hospital
    • Family physicians
    • Clinics
      
  • Recreation/social activities
  • Criminal justice
  • Social services
  • Housing
  • Employment
  • Advocacy
  • Peer support
  • Cultural services
  • Religious/spiritual services
  • Private practitioners
  • Media
  • Voluntary agencies
    
• Who could benefit from learning more about or becoming more involved in early psychosis intervention?
• Who currently makes decisions about services for youth in your community? Are there committees responsible for youth planning?
• How can you elicit input from families impacted by mental illness? Where do parents go for assistance in the community?
• Who is likely to support your efforts to educate? (Service agencies, other government agencies, student services, colleges, and employers?)
• Are there other Early Psychosis Clinicians or Programs in your community or region? How can you connect with them?