Serious Mental Illness Psychology

Psychologists with a specialization in Serious Mental Illness (SMI) Psychology apply specialized individual, societal and systems level assessment and intervention methods to assist those who have developed SMI or who are at risk of developing these illnesses (severe emotional disturbance; SED) recover and attain their full functional capability.

• Targeted individual-level strengths-based, functional and resource assessments developed for people with SMI/SED.
• Evidence-based treatments designed and developed specifically for this population.
• Methods to implement social and community integration; a key, specialized competency for this population.
• Stigma reducing approaches, including those aimed at reducing health disparities.
• Most appropriate research techniques including mixed methods approaches.
• Systems change processes and procedures.

Approaches used at individual, societal and systems levels apply to the wide range of special problems individuals in the SMI/SED population face, including:

Individual

• Difficulties in thinking, remembering, problem solving and social skills that depend on cognitive functioning such as relating, communicating well and appropriately, and interpreting social cues.
• Deficits related to when the illness developed, including inability to have appropriate relationships, lack of insight and knowledge about the illness; inability to understand how to manage symptoms, inability to work with mental health professionals to determine basic goals and best treatments; deficits in basic educational and employment skills.

Societal

• Societal restrictions placed on individuals with these disorders such as exclusion from the rights and privileges enjoyed by others.
• Stigmatization which often makes access to health care and other essential services extremely difficult.

Systems

• Organizational unwillingness or inability to provide the most efficacious interventions to help individuals recover and attain their full functional capability.

The populations served by this specialty are those with SMI/SED including individuals with psychosis manifested by disorders such as schizophrenia, schizo-affective illness, severe depression, serious bi-polar illness, severe post-traumatic stress disorder and other SMI/SED that result in sustained loss of functional capability.

Individual

• Specialized assessments to assist individuals determine goals based on their life experiences and strengths.
• Evidence-based and promising practice interventions that are efficacious for helping individuals with SMI/SED recover, attain full functional capability and achieve goals including population-specific psychotherapeutic interventions, cognitive remediation and social cognitive interventions, illness management strategies, family interventions, institutional interventions, educational and employment approaches.

Societal

• Interventions to help individuals live in their chosen community and access the services they need or desire.
• Interventions to help communities recognize the benefits of full participation for people with SMI/SED.

Systems

• Strategies to effect change in organizations and systems where individuals with SMI/SED are served.