Expert RAS-DS users respond to common concerns

In our research and from informal feedback from mental health workers, we hear of a range of challenges and requests for guidance about using RAS-DS as a tool for collaboration rather than just as an outcome measure.  We interviewed 10 expert RAS-DS users – mental health workers who we knew were using RAS-DS in the beautiful collaborative way for which it was designed. There was a great deal of variety in how people used RAS-DS in their unique circumstances. We asked them about their perspectives on the most commonly mentioned concerns and how they addressed these challenges. In the documents linked below, you will find some of their responses. We hope that this will provide some guidance for others hoping to use RAS-DS, especially as a tool to support their recovery-oriented collaborative way of working.

  1. Consumers might find the questions distressing
  2. It is too difficult for the consumers I work with
  3. Consumers don’t want to do it
  4. It's not worthwhile because consumers just write anything
  5. It takes too long
  6. I don’t see people for long enough

You can also download a copy of all advice from expert users about each of the concerns.

We’ve provided our expert RAS-DS users’ responses pretty much verbatim, though we have removed verbal stumbles, phrase repetition and filler words like ‘um’, ‘like’ and ‘you know’ to make them read more smoothly.

We would like to thank Hiu Yan (Yani) Lam who conducted these expert interviews for her honours research project. You can see the article from her research here [link to paper].

We would also like acknowledge the contributions of Haylee Zink, Heidi Ruchotzke and our 8 other anonymous experts. Without your valuable insights, this project would not have been possible.