Dual Diagnosis Services

Work preparation training for adults dually diagnosed with a mental health illness and an intellectual disability.

The Dual Diagnosis Program is a transitional service to assist individuals in stabilizing their mental health and behavioral issues in combination with learning independent life skills in preparation for employment. Experienced staff provides each person with individualized program plans addressing their specific needs and desires. Vocational opportunities are available to learn new jobs and earn a paycheck. Also available are instructional groups and discussions on life skills; anger management, coping skills for stressors, identifying feelings and communication skills are all a part of the daily curriculum. The program is located on the Barber National Institute campus where support services may be provided from the nursing staff for administering medication, medical attention, psychological and behavioral supports, or from the psychiatrist for medication monitoring and consultation on an as-needed basis. Leisure activities and community access are also available to provide each individual with real life experiences, recreation and balance to their days.

• Service objectives
• Discussion groups
• Activities

Contact Heidi McKenrick at
HeidiMcKenrick@barberinstitute.org
or call her at (814) 878-5920.

Service objectives:

• Increasing Independence
  Individuals are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, and become responsible for own actions and behavior.
• Improving Mental Health
  Specific skills addressed include reporting signs and symptoms of mental health to direct care staff and psychiatrist, taking medications as prescribed, and learning about medications.
• Improving Physical Health
  making healthy choices relating to diet, exercise, and limiting bad habits.
• Improving Social Skills to Strengthen Relationships
  Specific skills addressed are positive communication skills, practicing good manners, common courtesy, and respect for self and others.
• Improving Job Skills for Employment
  Practicing positive work skills; accurately recording work, time on task, quality and quantity of work, call-in when sick.
• Improving Self Control for Adult Behavior
  Specific skills addressing impulse control and anger management, coping methods for stressors, relaxation techniques for anxiety.
• Improving Self Care
  Personal grooming skills for a professional appearance, dental hygiene, dining etiquette.
• Improving Self Esteem
  Learn respect for self, enhance personal attributes, and reinforce positive behavior.
• Improving Personal Safety
  Increase awareness of a safe environment, safety precautions, fire safety and fire drill evacuation, and traffic safety in the community.

Discussion groups: BACK TO TOP

• Community Meeting
  Includes a consumer update, giving each individual time to express how their night or weekend went; oftentimes personal issues worthy of a discussion are brought up at this time .
• Current Events
  News stories from the newspaper are up for discussion, usually cover the horoscope as well.
• Emotions and Feelings
  Discussing how a person may feel in a certain situation, someone may speak from experience addressing an emotion felt during an incident, and role-playing.
• Stress Management
  Definition of stress is discussed as our bodies' reaction to outside pressure, and how we may handle it, as well as in specific incidents.
• Impulse Control
  Discussing strategies for coping with problems constructively, such as slowing down, breathing and talking to someone.
• Money and Basic Budgeting
  How to handle money from identification of coins to counting and making change to basic budgeting.
• Fire Safety
  Evacuation procedures, what to do in case of a fire, stop drop and roll.
• Nutrition
  Food groups, healthy food choices, and food calorie content.
• Personal Hygiene
  Daily bathing, shaving, combing hair, deodorant, neat and clean clothes.

Actitivies BACK TO TOP