Compassionate Traning Manual
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Authors
Gaiser, Paul Frederick
Issue Date
2000
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Millions of Americans are diagnosed with severe mental illnesses. When an individual struggles with mental illness, both the person and the person's family need assistance. Family members who care for a relative with mental illness frequently express a pervasive sense of inadequacy and frustration. Relatives high in expressed emotion (EE) demonstrate hostile, judgmental, critical, and overinvolved attitudes toward the person with the mental illness. Research findings suggest that training can help those relatives with high (EE) become more supportive, caring, and compassionate. This dissertation project created a Manual (CTM) to train mental health professionals to assist those judgmental relatives to become compassionate toward family members with mental illness. As seen in the Compassionate Training Manual, the annualized model contains the materials and guidelines to lead groups of family members with high EE. The CTM provides a comprehensive facilitator's guide for group work and offers instructions on motivational enhancement for the participants. Training relatives to be more compassionate toward their family members is the overall purpose of this manualized training model. The CTM provides material for trainers and facilitators to lead groups. The training manual includes definitions of severe and persistent mental illness, group process, group facilitation, the concept of expressed emotion (EE), and motivational interviewing. Assessment procedures of those with severe mental illness and their family members are also included. The CTM can be adapted to other clinical populations, such as addiction, asthmatic, and cardiac care.