To use staff resources more efficiently, a community mental health
center in South Carolina initiated an eight-session modular
psychoeducational and group therapy program with a classroom format. Groups
were composed of three to 12 patients with the same or similar diagnoses.
Each session in the series constituted a complete module and included
didactic presentations and group discussion about the material. At
follow-up two years after the program started, the program was well
accepted by staff and patients. The proportion of patient contacts for
group therapy and revenue generated by group contacts had increased.
Although an aim of the program was to reduce the frequency of contacts for
individual therapy, these contacts did not decline over the follow-up
period.
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