Advanced Search

Innovative Idea | February 01, 1999

Innovative Idea: Rehabilitation Program at a VA Medical Center

Psychiatric Services 1999; doi:

text A A A

Beginning in 1995 the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Louis began developing a psychological-social rehabilitation program for patients with chronic mental illness that is centered on time-limited therapeutic groups. The groups consist of a series of 50-minute sessions held for a period of eight weeks. Participants select the number of sessions per week they wish to attend. Topics addressed include budgeting, communications and feelings, community resources, empowerment, life challenges, medication, nutrition, symptom management and relapse prevention, and self-evaluation of progress.

Each group meeting is attended by six to ten outpatients with a wide range of diagnoses. The program is organized to accept stable individuals, those with subacute conditions, and those in transition from hospital stays; at present it does not accommodate persons with severe organic syndromes or violent acting out.

The groups are designed to empower consumers by giving them more responsibility for their own progress and familiarizing them with the idea that the benefits of treatment are proportionate to the effort expended. Participants are encouraged to become involved in selecting and implementing the learning tools used by the group. Groups have built-in evaluations of the presenter and the presentation and are continually implementing appropriate suggestions. Groups that provide education and support for patients' significant others are also available. The program has an interdisciplinary staff that draws on the talents of paraprofessional as well as professional staff. (Edwyna M. Towler, clinical social work diplomate, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63125)

CME Activity

There is currently no quiz available for this resource. Please click here to go to the CME page to find another.

Submit a Comments

Please read the other comments before you post yours. Contributors must reveal any conflict of interest.
Comments are moderated and will appear on the site at the discertion of JBJS editorial staff.

* = Required Field

Comment Author(s)*(if multiple authors, separate names by comma)

Example: John Doe

Affiliation & Institution*

Comment Title*

Comment*

Cancel

Print
E-mail

Recipient(s) will receive an email with a link (good for 72 hours) to 'Innovative Idea: Rehabilitation Program at a VA Medical Center' and do not need to have Psychiatric Services account to access the content.
Your Name:*
Example: John Doe

Email Address:* CC Me:
Enter your valid email address. Example: jdoe@example.com

Recipient's Email Address:*
Separate multiple email address with semi-colons (up to 5).

Subject:* 's Psychiatric Services: 'Innovative Idea: Rehabilitation Program at a VA Medical Center'
Subject for your email.

Message:
(Optional, message will truncate at 1000 characters)

Processing your request... Please Wait...

Copyright © in the material you requested is held by The American Psychiatric Association (unless otherwise noted). This email ability is provided as a courtesy, and by using it you agree that you are requesting the material solely for personal, non-commercial use, and that it is subject to The American Psychiatric Association's Terms of Use. The information provided in order to email this topic will not be used to send unsolicited email, nor will it be furnished to third parties. Please refer to The American Psychiatric Association's Privacy Policy for further information.

Copyright © American Psychiatric Association. All rights reserved.
Share
Get Citation

Innovative IdeaRehabilitation Program at a VA Medical Center. Psychiatric Services. 1999 Feb;50(2):288a-288.

Download citation file:

RIS (Zotero)

EndNote

BibTex

Medlars

ProCite

RefWorks

Reference Manager

Copyright © American Psychiatric Association. All rights reserved.
Reprints