Time-limited residential treatment: issues and evaluation.
The trends toward deinstitutionalization and community care have increased the need for short-term residential programs, and the literature supports their effectiveness as an alternative to longer-term care. The authors describe an innovative short-term residential treatment program at Florida Mental Health Institute. Called the Early Intervention Project and limited to nine weeks, it uses a combination of behavioral and psycho-educational techniques for building skills in younger patients who have not received extensive prior treatment. It includes training modules in assertiveness, communication, problem-solving, managing anxiety and depression, medication, relaxation, and nutrition, and also incorporates a peer-managed token economy. A series of research studies have demonstrated the program's effectiveness in changing patient behavior.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003688:Deinstitutionalization; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010379:Peer Group; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013997:Time Factors