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Illness Management and Recovery

Illness Management and Recovery is a structured approach to helping adults with severe mental illness manage their lives more independently. IMR provides a set of specific techniques to education consumers about their illness and related issues, such as medications and side effects, and to train them to use successful skills and strategies to cope and prevent relapse.

Purpose: IMR embodies the principle of self-determination and is based on the idea that when consumers are in charge of their own lives and provided the means necessary to make informed choices, they will make better decisions than if they are directed by medical personnel to "comply" with a treatment plan. Through illness management, consumers learn to proactively address issues such as symptoms, medications, worries about relapse, or depression, so they are freer to pursue recovery goals such as employment, creative use of medication, reduced symptom severity, and reduced relapse and hospitalization rates.

Implementation:

  • Adult & Child Center was awarded a one-year mini-grant from the Governor's Council on Home and Community Based Services to incorporate IMR with their certified ACT team during 2004.
  • DMHA was awarded a grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in federal fiscal year 2004 to systematically bring IMR to Indiana. Three sites began implementing IMR in state fiscal year 2004 (Bowen Center, Quinco, and Wabash Valley). Two new sites will implement IMR (Madison Center and Cummins) and the Adult & Child Center program will be continued using this grant funding in state fiscal year 2005.
  • The Assertive Community Treatment Technical Assistance Center (IUPUI) has received a grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to support IMR in Indiana. Grant funds will be used to integrate IMR with four (4) ACT teams in Indiana. Two teams will include peer support and two will not include peer support. Outcomes will be measured for both models to determine effectiveness.

Benefits of Illness Management and Recovery: IMR is a simple, cost-effective way to give consumers back the control of their illness so they are empowered to pursue their recovery goals.

Contact information: Charles Boyle, cboyle@fssa.state.in.us

8-25-04