Part-Time Mental Health Technicians: A Special Fields Study in an Intermediate Care Facility

Abstract

Hands-on caregivers–nurses, nursing assistants, recreation therapists, and social workers–led experimental learning groups using TA concepts with residents of an intermediate care facility for six months. The group facilitators went through fifteen months of on-the-job preparation before beginning their groups. They also had weekly supervision during the project. Compared with residents not attending these sessions, group members showed improvement in independence, reduced reliance on staff for attention and emotional support, and less use of psychotropic medications. The number of residents discharged or planning to be discharged exceeded staff expectations.