Abstract
This brief report reviews recent updates to the S.A.F.E. Program, a family psychoeducational intervention for serious mental illness created in the Veterans Affairs (VA) system. The improvements and significant content additions to the curriculum are outlined. Further, positive five-year program evaluation data are described, including high levels of participant retention and satisfaction. Program attendance is positively correlated with understanding of mental illness, awareness of VA resources, and ability to engage in self-care activities—and inversely correlated with caregiver distress. This data lays the groundwork for a randomized clinical trial and raises questions about the necessity of diagnostic-specific family programming.
References
Dixon L., Lyles A., Scott J., Lehman A., Postrado L., Goldman H., McGlynn E. (1999). Services to families of adults with schizophrenia: From treatment recommendations to dissemination. Psychiatric Services 50:233–238
Hogue C. W., Castro C. A., Messer S. C., McGurk D., Cotting D. I., Koffman R. L. (2004). Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health problems, and barriers to care. New England Journal of Medicine 351(1):13–22
Karp D.A. (2001). The burden of sympathy: How families cope with mental illness. Oxford University Press, Oxford NY
Lehman A. F., Lieberman J. A., Dixon L. B., McGlashan T. H., Miller A. L., Perkins D. O., Kreyenbuhl J. (2004). Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia, second edition. American Journal of Psychiatry 161(2 Suppl): 1–56
Liberman, R. P. (in press). Rehabilitation of the mentally disabled: A manual for practitioners. American Psychiatric Publishing Co.
McCutcheon S. (2003). Mental health QUERI and family psychoeducation: The beginning of a translation journey. Poster session presented at the meeting of the VA Midwest Health Care Network 23 Mental Health Service Line: Best Practices in Network Mental Healthcare Systems, Minneapolis, MN
Sherman M. D. (2003). The Support and Family Education (S.A.F.E.) Program: Mental health facts for families. Psychiatric Services 54:35–37
Sherman, M. D. (2004). Best Practices in Family Intervention for Serious Mental Illness. Retrieved March 28, 2004 from http://www.w3.ouhsc.edu/bpfamily
Sherman M. D., Carothers R. A. (2005). Applying the readiness to change model to implementation of family intervention for serious mental illness. Community Mental Health Journal 41: 115–27
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Michelle D. Sherman is affiliated with the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC). He is also affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sherman, M.D. Updates and Five-year Evaluation of the S.A.F.E. Program: A Family Psychoeducational Program for Serious Mental Illness. Community Ment Health J 42, 213–219 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-005-9018-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-005-9018-3