Support Program Can Help Caregivers Cope with Relative's Mental Illness

2011 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Support Program

scholarly journals Using Smartphone Apps to Promote Psychiatric Rehabilitation in a Peer-led Community Support Program (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora E Mueller ◽  
Trishan Panch ◽  
Cathaleene Macias ◽  
Bruce M Cohen ◽  
Dost Ongur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Psychiatric Rehabilitation ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Smartphone Apps ◽  
Persistent Mental Illness ◽  
Community Support Program ◽  
Peer Specialists ◽  
Peer Specialist

BACKGROUND Management of severe and persistent mental illness is a complex, resource-intensive challenge for individuals, their families, their treaters, and the healthcare system at large. Community based rehabilitation, in which peer specialists provide support for individuals managing their own condition, has demonstrated effectiveness, but has only been implemented in specialty centers. It remains unclear how the peer based community rehabilitation model could be expanded, given that it requires significant resources to both establish and maintain. OBJECTIVE Here, we describe the results from a study of one such program implemented within Waverley Place, a community support program at McLean Hospital emphasizing psychiatric rehabilitation for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Key questions were whether the patients could and would successfully use the app. METHODS The smartphone app offered multiple features relevant to psychiatric rehabilitation, including daily task lists and text messaging with peer specialists. Thirteen patients downloaded the app and used it for up to 90 days. RESULTS Only two patients were not able to complete app installation. Five patients were able to use the app regularly as part of their daily lives. No demographic or clinical features predicted ability to use the app in this way, but receiving a message from the certified peer specialist on the first day after installing the app did. Reasons for success or failure were highly individualistic. CONCLUSIONS Smartphone apps may become a useful tool for psychiatric rehabilitation, addressing both psychiatric and co-occurring medical problems. Individualizing functions to each patient and facilitating connection with a certified peer specialist may be an important feature of useful apps.

A Comprehensive Clinical Vocational Assessment: The PACT Approach

1991 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Lane Frey ◽  
Michelle Godfrey
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Behavioral Assessment ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Vocational Assessment ◽  
Persistent Mental Illness ◽  
Community Support Program ◽  
Vocational Outcomes ◽  
Assessment Approach ◽  
Model Community

The purpose of this paper is to present an “Integrated Clinical Behavioral Assessment Approach” for use with persons with severe and persistent mental illness. This approach has been viewed as effective in facilitating successful competitive vocational outcomes within a model community support program.

scholarly journals Evaluation of an integrated housing and recovery model for people with severe and persistent mental illnesses: the Doorway program

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 573 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Dunt ◽  
Andrew W. Benoy ◽  
Andrea Phillipou ◽  
Laura L. Collister ◽  
Elizabeth M. Crowther ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Rental Market ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Persistent Mental Illness ◽  
Housing Security

Objective The Doorway program is a 3-year pilot integrated housing and recovery support program aimed at people with a severe and persistent mental illness who are ‘at risk’ or actually homeless. Participants source and choose properties through the open rental market, with appropriate rental subsidy and brokerage support. This arrangement is highly innovative, differing from widely favoured arrangements internationally involving congregate and scattered-site housing owned or managed by the support program. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of the Doorway program on participants’ health, housing, service utilisation and costs. Methods A pre-post study design was used with outcome measures consisting of a number of question inventories and their costs (where relevant). The principal inventories were the Behaviour and Symptom Identification Scale 32 (BASIS-32), a consumer-oriented, self-report measure of behavioural symptoms and distress, the Health of the Nation Outcome Scale (HoNOS), an interviewer-administered measurement tool designed to assess general health and social functioning of mentally ill people and the Outcomes Star (Homelessness) system which measures various aspects of the homelessness experience. Baseline measurements were performed routinely by staff at entry to the program and then at 6-monthly intervals across the evaluation period. Results For 55 of 59 participants, total mean BASIS-32 scores (including as well three of five subscale scores) improved significantly and with moderate effect size. Four of the 10 domain scores on the Outcome Star (Homelessness) inventory also improved significantly, with effect sizes ranging from small–medium (three domains) to large (one domain). Mean usage of bed-based mental health clinical services and general hospital admissions both significantly decreased (with overall net savings of A$3096 per participant per annum). Overall cost savings (including housing) to government ranged from A$1149 to A$19837 depending on the housing type comparator. Conclusion The Doorway program secured housing for this vulnerable group with additional benefits in client outcomes, including reduced use and cost of health services. These findings, if confirmed in larger studies, should have widespread applicability internationally. What is known about the topic? Beneficial effects of housing and recovery programs (Housing First) on people with severe and persistent mental illness and who are ‘at risk’, or actually homeless, are being demonstrated in Northern America. These effects include housing security, well being, health service utilisation and cost effects on government. However, these beneficial effects can only be regarded as settled for housing security. The highly innovative Doorway care model in which participants source and choose properties through the open rental market, with appropriate rental subsidy and brokerage support, has not been investigated previously. What does this paper add? This paper adds new data on the Doorway care models, it’s effects and costs, particularly with regard to participant behavioural distress and social functioning. What are the implications for practitioners? The beneficial effects of this innovative model, if confirmed in larger studies, should have widespread applicability internationally.

The Ontario Disability Support Program Work Exit Process: Parallels to a Hostage Negotiation

2020 ◽  
pp. 104420732094460
Author(s):  
Pamela Lahey ◽  
Bonnie Kirsh ◽  
Emile Tompa ◽  
Joy MacDermid ◽  
Rebecca E. Gewurtz
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Income Support ◽  
Welfare To Work ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Disability Support ◽  
Disability Income

There is a lack of empirical data on the experiences of people with mental illness (PMI) who transition from welfare to work, or how policy programs are designed to facilitate this outcome. We explore the factors that facilitate or hinder PMI from exiting disability income support programs in Ontario, Canada. Drawing on a grounded theory approach, we examine the process of exiting the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with current and former recipients with mental illness, service providers who support current and former recipients, and ministry staff. A metaphor for the work exit process emerged with four embedded themes: (a) picking yourself back up, (b) breaking the rules to get ahead, (c) stabilizing illness for employment success, and (d) displaying resiliency and resourcefulness for successful exits. The main finding is that system supports are not the determining factors in a successful transition. Rather, participants describe how recipients exit for employment by leveraging personal resources to successfully transition off income support benefits. A system redesign is needed to address the inherent tension between social and health programs if the policy intent is to promote successful welfare-to-work transitions for PMI.

scholarly journals Using Smartphone Apps to Promote Psychiatric Rehabilitation in a Peer-Led Community Support Program: Pilot Study

10.2196/10092 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. e10092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora E Mueller ◽  
Trishan Panch ◽  
Cathaleene Macias ◽  
Bruce M Cohen ◽  
Dost Ongur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Psychiatric Rehabilitation ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Smartphone Apps ◽  
Research Staff ◽  
Persistent Mental Illness ◽  
Community Support Program ◽  
Peer Specialists ◽  
Day Program

Background Management of severe and persistent mental illness is a complex, resource-intensive challenge for individuals, their families, treaters, and the health care system at large. Community-based rehabilitation, in which peer specialists provide support for individuals managing their own condition, has demonstrated effectiveness but has only been implemented in specialty centers. It remains unclear how the peer-based community rehabilitation model could be expanded, given that it requires significant resources to both establish and maintain. Objective Here, we describe the results from a study of one such program implemented within Waverley Place, a community support program at McLean Hospital, emphasizing psychiatric rehabilitation for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, as well as describing the challenges encountered during the implementation of the program. Key questions were whether the patients could, and would, successfully use the app. Methods The smartphone app offered multiple features relevant to psychiatric rehabilitation, including daily task lists, activity tracking, and text messaging with peer specialists. A 90-day program of activities, goals, and content specific to the community support program was created on the basis of a prior pilot, in collaboration between members of the app development team (WellFrame), and peers, clinical, and research staff associated with the program. Hospital research staff recruited patients into the study, monitored peer and patient engagement, and handled all raw data acquired from the study. Results Of 100 people approached for the study, a total of 13 provided consent, of which 10 downloaded and used the app. Two patients were unable to complete the app installation. Five used the app regularly as part of their daily lives for at least 20 days of the 90-day program. We were unable to identify any specific factors (eg, clinical or demographic) that affected willingness to consent or engage with the app platform in the very limited sample, although the individuals with significant app use were generally satisfied with the experience. Conclusions Smartphone apps may become a useful tool for psychiatric rehabilitation, addressing both psychiatric and co-occurring medical problems. Individualizing functions to each patient and facilitating connection with a certified peer specialist may be an important feature of useful apps. Unlike prior reports emphasizing that patients with schizophrenia will adopt smartphone platforms, we found that implementation of digital tools into existing community support programs for severe and persistent mental illness has many challenges yet to be fully overcome to realize the potential benefits such apps could have to promote systematization and cost reduction for psychiatric rehabilitation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document