Education as a force for change in mental health settings

Abstract

The authors focus on the educational process as a force for bringing about changes in the community or within an agency setting. Four change agent roles--specialist, problem solver, consciousness raiser, and advocate--are identified and described. Attention is then focused on criteria for choosing a change agent role. What kind of change is needed? What is the probability of success using a given role? What are the consequences of functioning in a given role? These are three questions an educational change agent should ask before choosing a role as specialist, problem solver, consciousness raiser or advocate.