A Social-Learning Approach to the Rehabilitation of Individuals with Severe Mental Disorders who Reside in Forensic Facilities

Abstract With steadily growing populations of individuals with severe mental illnesses in forensic hospitals and correctional institutions, there is a need for effective rehabilitation services in these facilities. Individuals in such facilities have many of the same rehabilitation needs as people with severe mental illnesses in other settings. This paper describes the use of a comprehensive social-learning approach to rehabilitation that has been implemented in forensic facilities with documented success. The effectiveness of the social-learning approach has been well established for individuals with the most severe mental illnesses in public psychiatric hospitals. The application of this approach within the Forensic Services of the Missouri Department of Mental Health is outlined, and some of the challenges associated with implementing psychosocial rehabilitation technologies within highly secure facilities are discussed.