Building Teams and Programs for Effective Psychiatric Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation programs rely on interdisciplinary teams, and the teams that work well together provide better services to their clientele, improving the quality of life for people with severe mental illness. This volume outlines that educational and organizational strategies that will help staff come together in cohesive teams and create more effective rehabilitation programs. The authors provide detailed guidelines for staff training, presenting a systems approach that emphasizes competency identification, a research-based training program that develops team leadership skills, and a training model that highlights egalitarian roles and the importance of engaging consumers and families. Chapters also explore the relevance of total quality management to successful rehabilitation programs; demonstrate how technology can help practitioners more accurately document outcomes and act more forcefully on the consumer's behalf; and review the issues and benefits involved in the employment of consumers as providers. This is the 79th issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Mental Health Services.

PATRICK W. CORRIGAN is associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Chicago, where he directs the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. He is also director and principal investigator of the Illinois Staff Training Institute for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. DANIEL W. GIFFORT is Chief of the Bureau of Human Resource Development, Office of Mental Health, Illinois Department of Human Services.