Benefits and Challenges to People with Psychiatric Disabilities Who Volunteer

This research follows from the research reported in CVSS Working Paper Series, Volume 2007 (2). In that paper we presented the results of our examination of volunteer programs in ten organizations serving people with psychiatric disabilities2. We described the nature of the programs, identified best practices and discussed the challenges and benefits they presented. This paper focuses on the responses of 27 people with psychiatric disabilities to a questionnaire probing their volunteering experiences. Please refer to the previous CVSS Working Paper titled “Client Volunteering in Organizations Serving Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities” for a detailed review of the literature. Here we will briefly summarize the major thrust of the literature review.