Skills Development Program offers a customized, one to one, community based teaching/training service for adults working on recovery challenges associated with a mental health diagnosis. These services are offered under two domains: personal skills and employment skills.  

 

Basic Principles

• Individuals get connected to support networks, both natural and professional

• Staff assists individuals to assess skills and resources and to identify those that are present or absent

• Individuals work with staff to develop and achieve self-determined rehabilitation goals

 

Personal Skills

Skills Development utilizes a teaching/coaching approach and provides practical knowledge and specific skills training, and facilitates development of a consumer's personal resources.

Typical challenges that individuals choose to address include:

• Improving interpersonal skills

• Managing impulsive behavior

• Understanding and managing behavior

• Using routine organization and scheduling to manage stress and anxiety

• Using effective problem-solving

• Understanding mental illness and the importance of medication compliance

• Learning to adapt to change

• Understanding how to use resources appropriately and effectively

• Understanding and using money management skills

• Using appropriate assertive, self-advocacy skills, and preventing relapse

 

Employment Skills

The Employment Skills Development Program assists individuals in obtaining and maintaining employment. Typical challenges that might be addressed in obtaining employment include:

• Interviewing skills

• Resume writing

• Marketing your skills and abilities

• Presenting yourself appropriately                                                           

• Application dos and don’ts

• What employers want

And if you are already employed

• How can you keep your job?

• Communication Skills

• What supports do I need?

 

Eligibility

• AMHI Consent Decree Class Member

 or

• 18 years of age or older

• Axis I or Axis II diagnosis

• scores at 50 or below on the global assessment of functioning (GAF)

• scores in need of service on the Locus Assessment Tool

Once eligibility is determined, a plan to identify Skills Development goals is created with the individual being served, and staff are assigned to work with the individual on obtaining and keeping those goals.

 

Contact

For more information call the Director of Skills Development at the Dover-Foxcroft office at (207) 564-2464.

Funded in part by the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services.