Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this qualitative inquiry is to describe the experiences of women who have been long-term consumers of mental health services and to understand the meaning and quality of care from their inside point of view. The American mental health service system might be better described as a maze or as a “non-system,” requiring important maneuvering skills on the part of clients. Women are the largest consumer group of mental health services and, due to their contextual, person-in-environment thinking, are expert observers of the people and processes in a network designed to help with psychological and emotional distress. Social justice ethics support the recording of their stories, historically suppressed and marginalized, and call for system-wide collaboration and cooperation on their behalf.