Free Essays,College Free Essays,Free College Essays at Anti Essays

Finding appropriate rehabilitative interventions that target social skills deficits is an ongoing challenge for those working with the severe and persistent mentally ill population. Much of the published literature on the topic of social skills development is directed toward those with schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders and fairly positive results have been found. In general, social skills training programs have proven to be effective in treating people whose problems stem from deficiencies in basic interpersonal and problem-solving skills (Hepworth et. al., 2006). This paper will outline published literature findings on social skills work and other therapeutic techniques with the severe and persistent mental ill population while also proposing a social skills education, training and support group for a residential treatment facility with mentally ill adults.
Since development of social skills training procedures in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the effects of skills training on individuals with severe mental illnesses have been extensively studied. Current empirical literature suggests that social skills training in comparison to cognitive behavioral therapy and cognitive remediation has the strongest support as evidenced-based treatment (Bellack, 2002). Specifically pertaining to schizophrenia, young people with this disorder frequently become progressively more removed from their peer group, fail to achieve or attain adult milestones, such as marriage, employment and higher education, and often become socially isolated (Bellack, 2002). It is evident that social skills training would be critical for those with severe mental illness and how successful they are in community integration. According to Bellack (2002), social skills training is difficult to review given wide variability in methodology, outcome criteria, assessment instruments and subject populations in different trials. Assessment of the community outcomes of this form of treatment...