Shaping Mental Health Services Toward Recovery

Evidence-Based Practices:

Shaping Mental Health Services Toward Recovery

Tool Kits are currently in production. We expect delivery within a few weeks. Please download materials as needed.

Shaping Mental Health Services Toward Recovery

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and its Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) are pleased to introduce six Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Resource Kits to encourage the use of evidence-based practices in mental health. The Kits were developed as one of several SAMHSA/CMHS activities critical to its science-to-services strategy. We expect to identify additional practices for future Kits.

The Kits contain many useful resources, including:

Information Sheets for all stakeholder groups
Introductory videos
Practice demonstration videos
Workbook or manual for Practitioners

Each of the six Resource Kits is described below.

Illness Management and Recovery

The Illness Management and Recovery program strongly emphasizes helping people to set and pursue personal goals and to implement action strategies in their everyday lives. The information and skills taught in the program include:

Recovery strategies
Practical facts about mental illness
The Stress-Vulnerability Model and strategies for treatment
Building social support
Using medication effectively
Reducing relapses and coping with stress
Coping with problems and symptoms
Getting needs met in the mental health system

Medication Management Approaches in Psychiatry

The Medication Management Approaches in Psychiatry program focuses on using medication in a systematic and effective way, as part of the overall treatment for severe mental illness. The ultimate goal is to ensure that medications are prescribed in a way that supports a person�s recovery efforts. The program includes:

Guidelines and steps for medication decision making, based on current Evidence and outcomes
Systematic monitoring and record keeping of medications
Consumer and family member Involvement

Assertive Community Treatment

The goal of Assertive Community Treatment is to help people stay out of the hospital and to develop skills for living in the community, so that their mental illness is not the driving force in their lives. Assertive community treatment offers services that are customized to the individual needs of the consumer, delivered by a team of practitioners, and available 24 hours a day. The program addresses needs related to:

Symptom management
Housing
Finances
Employment
Medical care
Substance abuse
Family life
Activities of daily life

Family Psychoeducation

Family Psychoeducation involves a partnership among consumers, families and supporters, and practitioners. Through relationship building, education, collaboration, problem solving, and an atmosphere of hope and cooperation, family psychoeducation helps consumers and their families and supporters to:

Learn about mental illness
Master new ways of managing their mental illness
Reduce tension and stress within the family
Provide social support and encouragement to each other
Focus on the future
Find ways for families and supporters to help consumers in their recovery

Supported Employment

Supported Employment is a well-defined approach to helping people with mental illnesses find and keep competitive employment within their communities. Supported employment programs are staffed by employment specialists who have frequent meetings with treatment providers to integrate supported employment with mental health services. The core principles of this program include:

Eligibility based on consumer choices and preferences
Supported employment as an integrated treatment
Continuous follow-along supports
Help with moving beyond the patient role and developing new employment-related Roles as part of the recovery process

Co-occurring Disorders: Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment is for people who have co-occurring disorders, mental illness and a substance abuse addiction. This treatment approach helps people recover by offering both mental health and substance abuse services at the same time and in one setting.

This approach includes: