Mental health respite services: a grounded service delivery model.

A needs assessment for mental health respite services was undertaken at Waterloo Regional Homes for Mental Health in Kitchener, Ontario. Twenty-seven participants (consumers, carers, and service providers) were asked about their perceptions of the need for mental health respite services, and about their preferences for a model of respite in their community. A convergent analysis of participants' responses leads to one possible model of respite, while a divergent analysis considers program and value dilemmas for potential planners of programs directed at multiple stakeholders. Participants' frustrations with current services remind mental health programs of the importance of consulting with all stakeholders as they evaluate and develop programs.