Aim: A range of residential supports is available for young people experiencing mental health challenges. One Australian example is the Youth Residential Rehabilitation Service, which provides up to 12 months of intensive psychosocial support in a residential setting to young people aged 16-25 experiencing serious mental health challenges. This paper aimed to add to the scant literature on these services, describing the experiences of young people and staff members across the duration of a stay.
Methods: This study drew on collaborative autoethnography to engage and centre the direct lived experience of young people who had lived, and staff who had worked, in a Youth Residential Rehabilitation Service.
Results: We identified three phases that young people typically journey through during their stay at the service. The Arriving phase was marked by appropriate referrals, a warm welcome, a period of settling in and the development of trusting relationships. The Discovering phase saw young people identifying and enacting their strengths, hopes and values. Community connections were a focus of the Continuing phase as lives after service exit were envisioned and created.
Conclusions: Drawing on collaborative autoethnography methods represents one approach to amplify the voice of young people in service design and evaluation. This paper richly described some of the possibilities and complexities of the Youth Residential Rehabilitation Service experience, which can be used to inform the service's pacing and structure of support.
Keywords: collaborative autoethnography; participatory research; personal recovery; residential care; youth mental health.
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.