ERIC ED540223: Building Your Program. Supported Education: A Promising Practice. Evidence-Based Practices KIT (Knowledge Informing Transformation)

2011·1 MB·English

by  ERIC

Building
Supported
Education
Your Program
A Promising Practice
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
www.samhsa.gov

Building
Supported
Education
Your Program
A Promising Practice
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Mental Health Services
Acknowledgments
This document was prepared for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) by Karen V. Unger, Ph.D., Rehabilitation Through Education, Portland, Oregon, under
contract number P233200500802P and Westat under contract number 270-03-6005 with
SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Marian Scheinholtz served as
the SAMHSA Government Project Officer.
Disclaimer
The views, opinions, and content of this publication are those of the authors and contributors
and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the Center for Mental Health
Services (CMHS), SAMHSA, or HHS.
Public Domain Notice
All material appearing in this document is in the public domain and may be reproduced
or copied without permission from SAMHSA. Citation of the source is appreciated. However,
this publication may not be reproduced or distributed for a fee without the specific, written
authorization from the Office of Communications, SAMHSA, HHS.
Electronic Access and Copies of Publication
This publication may be downloaded or ordered at http://store.samhsa.gov. Or, please
call SAMHSA at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) (English and Español).
Recommended Citation
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Supported Education: Building
Your Program. HHS Pub. No. SMA-11-4654, Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services,
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, 2011.
Originating Office

Center for Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
1 Choke Cherry Road
Rockville, MD 20857

HHS Publication No. SMA-11-4654
Printed 2011
Building Your Program
Building Your Program is intended to help mental health authorities,
agency administrators, and program leaders think through and
Supported
develop Supported Education. The first part of this booklet gives
you background information about the Supported Education model.
Education
Specific information about your role in implementing and sustaining
Supported Education follows.
Although you will work closely together to build your program, A Promising Practice
for ease, we separated tips into two sections:
 Tips for Mental Health Authorities; and
 Tips for Agency Administrators and Program Leaders.
In preparing this information, we could think of no one better
to advise you than people who have worked successfully with
Supported Education. Therefore, we based the information
in this booklet on the experience of veteran program leaders,
administrators, and consumers and end the booklet with their
words of advice.
For references, see the booklet, The Evidence.
This KIT is part of a series created by the Center for Mental Health
Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administra-
tion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This booklet is part of the Supported Education KIT that includes
a CD-ROM and seven booklets:
How to Use the KITs
Getting Started with Evidence-Based
and Promising Practices
Building Your Program
Training Frontline Staff
Evaluating Your Program
The Evidence
Using Multimedia to Introduce Your Promising Practice
What’s in Building Your Program
What Is Supported Education? .............................................1
Tips for Mental Health Authorities .......................................7
Supported
Tips for Agency Administrators and Program Leaders ..........17
Voices of Experience .........................................................39 Education
A Promising Practice

Building Your Program
What Is Supported Education?
The onset of mental illness most Supported Education encourages
commonly occurs between the ages of consumers to think about and plan for
15 and 21 (Newman et al., 1996) when their future. It provides an important step
young people are beginning to develop to help consumers use their innate talents
their adult roles. During this time, they and abilities and pursue their personal
are completing their education that recovery goals. Also, Supported
prepares them to work, developing Education promotes career development
relationships that create a social to improve long-term work opportunities.
network, and learning their rights and
responsibilities within their communities. Supported Education follows the
The onset of a mental illness disrupts “choose-get-keep” model, which
this process. Once disrupted, it is helps consumers make choices about
extraordinarily difficult to recreate. paths for education and training, get
appropriate education and training
Supported Education programs help opportunities, and keep their student
consumers pursue their individual status until they achieve their goals
educational goals. Offered in tandem (Mowbray, Brown, & Szilvagyi, 2002;
with Supported Employment, these Mowbray et al., 2005; Sullivan, Nicolellis,
programs help consumers develop a Danley, & MacDonald-Wilson, 1993).
sense of self-efficacy and independence.
Building Your Program 1 What Is Supported Education?
There are several different models of Supported The Supported Education model is based on a core
Education. Most offer these core services set of practice principles. These principles form
(Brown, 2002): the foundation of the approach.
 Career planning including vocational
assessment, career exploration, Educational
Goal Plan development, course selection, Practice Principles
instruction, support, and counseling; of Supported Education
 Academic survival skills including information
 Access to an education program with
about college and training programs, disability
positive, forward progress is the goal.
rights and resources, tutoring and mentoring
services, time and stress management, and  Eligibility is based on personal choice.
social supports;
 Supported Education services begin
 Direct assistance including help with enrollment, soon after consumers express interest.
financial aid, education debt, and contingency
 Supported Education is integrated
funds; and
with treatment.
 Outreach including contact with campus
 Individualized educational services are
resources, mental health treatment team
offered for as long as they are needed.
members, and other agencies such as
vocational rehabilitation.  Consumer preferences guide services.
 Supported Education is strengths-based
Supported Education programs offer a combination
and promotes growth and hope.
of these services tailored to meet consumers’
 Recovery is an ongoing process facilitated
individual needs. Although often thought of
by meaningful roles.
as pertaining to university, community college,
and postsecondary education, adult education
and General Educational Development (GED)
preparation can also be part of Supported
Education services, thus providing a wide range
of educational options to the most consumers.
What Is Supported Education? 2 Building Your Program