The Use of Community Networks for Chronic Psychiatric Patients

This paper describes a program, the Work Readiness Seminar, designed in collaboration with a community organization, the Altrusa Club, to respond to needs of chronic psychiatric female patients. The five sessions of the program provide the women with information about everyday survival skills and an opportunity to practice these skills. The excellent role models provided by the Altrusa Club members and the programming of life skills “in vivo” are the strengths of the program. This paper also briefly describes three additional programs that evolved from the Work Readiness Seminar. All four programs use community groups as a resource for teaching life skills to chronic psychiatric patients.