Introduction
The Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) intervention (Mueser et al., 2006) was developed by practitioners and consumers as part of the National Implementing Evidence-Based Practices program (Drake and Goldman, 2003 and Mueser et al., 2003). IMR includes psychosocial interventions that a review of controlled research (Mueser et al., 2002) found to be effective in helping clients acquire the knowledge and skills they need to manage their illnesses effectively and achieve personal recovery goals. To facilitate the attainment of the IMR program, the implementation resource kit is made-up of the following modules (Gingerich and Mueser, 2005):
1.
Recovery strategies—this module introduces the client to the concept of recovery, especially emphasizing client exploration and development of own definitions of recovery and personal goals.
2.
Practical facts about mental illness—this module provides clients with information about their illness (schizophrenia, major depression, mania–depression).
3.
Stress-vulnerability and treatment strategies—this module presents the stress-vulnerability model of SMI and shows how it is relevant to treatment of, and coping, with SMI.
4.
Building social support—this module exposes clients to strategies designed to improve social relationships.
5.
Using medication effectively—this module provides clients with information about how they can use medication as an aide to achieving their goals.
6.
Reducing relapses—by means of this module, clients learn to examine their experiences with past relapses to develop ways of preventing future relapses.
7.
Coping with stress—this module helps clients identify different kinds of stress and their physical and emotional reactions to stress and a variety of strategies for coping with stress.
8.
Coping with problems and symptoms—clients learn two approaches to coping with problems and symptoms.
9.
Getting your needs met in the mental health system—this module exposes the clients to an overview of the mental health system.