Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) PA staff shall offer to consumers
therapeutic skills development training with the aim of promoting community
integration and restoring the individual to the maximum possible functional
level by improving functional, social, interpersonal, problem-solving, coping,
and communication skills.
(b)
Therapeutic skills development shall involve teaching the consumer the
physical, cognitive/intellectual, and behavioral skills related to identified
goals in a focused manner that leads to increased competence and proficiency in
identified skills.
(c) At a
minimum, skill teaching in every task or area shall be guided by the following
principles, and PA staff shall have discussions with consumers about:
1. The skills to be learned, taking into
account the consumers' past experiences in using the skills, what the skills
entail, when to use the skills, and the benefits of using the skills;
2. Breaking down the skills into their
component parts;
3. Showing
examples of how the skills are correctly used or performed;
4. Arranging opportunities to practice skill
use in a community setting where the skills are to be used; and
5. Providing evaluation and feedback on skill
performance.
(d) Skills
development may target one or more of the following areas:
1. Restoration of daily living skills (for
example, health and mental health education, money management, maintenance of
living environment, personal responsibility, nutrition, menu planning, cooking
and grocery shopping, personal hygiene, grooming, etc.);
2. Social skills development to promote the
restoration of appropriate social functioning in various community settings,
communication and interpersonal relationships, the use of community services,
including cultural and recreational events, and the development of appropriate
personal and natural support networks;
3. Skills related to accessing and using
appropriate mainstream medical, dental, and mental health services (for
example, making and keeping appointments, preparing questions to ask the
doctor, asking an employer for time off to attend a doctor's appointment,
arranging transportation, etc.);
4.
Skills related to accessing, renewing, and using appropriate public
entitlements such as Social Security, rental assistance, welfare, Medicaid, and
Medicare (for example, completing applications, preparing for interviews,
navigating the social services agency, determining which benefits are needed,
etc.);
5. Skills related to how to
use recreation and leisure time and resources (for example, engaging in
hobbies, inviting friends, learning about community resources, applying for
club memberships, adhering to club member requirements, researching available
resources, attending community cultural events, etc.);
6. Skill training in self-advocacy and
assertiveness in dealing with citizenship, legal, and/or other social needs
(for example, how to vote, appropriate participation in community meetings and
civic activities, participating in mental health advocacy activities,
testifying at public hearings, expressing needs in appropriate manner,
etc.);
7. Skills of negotiating
landlord/neighbor relationships, educating residents on their rights and
obligations as tenants/neighbors, as well as fair housing laws and
landlord-tenant laws, and coaching consumer residents in terms of social skills
needed to deal with and maintain good relationships with landlords and
neighbors;
8. Cognitive and
behavior skills including, but not limited to, the handling of emergencies and
problem solving;
9. Wellness and a
healthy lifestyle (for example, engaging in health promoting habits, practicing
stress management activities, developing wellness plans, establishing and
maintaining regular exercise, participating in spiritual or religious
community, etc.); and
10.
Employment, volunteer, and educational readiness activities, including:
communication skills, personal hygiene and dress, time management, navigating
linkages and referrals, finding available resources, making and keeping
appointments, coaching for interviews, completing necessary paperwork, and
other related skills preparing the recipient to be employable.