The Life Adjustment Team provides effective in-home structure and support systems that empower patients to live stable, active and productive lives using evidence-based treatment concepts for successful rehabilitation and recovery.

While there has been significant progress in the development of new medications that reduce symptoms, equally important is the empowering knowledge and skills patients can attain through state-of-the-art rehabilitation to manage their illness and enjoy meaningful, productive lives.

The Team implements psychosocial rehabilitation programs on a one-to-one basis in the home and surrounding community. For the past 33 years, this approach has proven to be instrumental in significantly reducing or eliminating the need for repeated hospitalizations and has helped many patients achieve a satisfying level of successful independent living.

All LAT clinicians have achieved either a Doctorate or Masters degree in psychology or a related field, and/or are licensed MFTs or LCSWs, and all come to the Team with  several years experience working with people with mental illness.

The focus of treatment with the Life Adjustment Team is determined by an assessment of seven specific Domains of Functioning. Goals and plans are developed to stabilize patients using a combination of skills training in medication and symptom management and goal-directed, supportive outreach case management services. Patients can be seen daily when necessary, but are usually scheduled three to four days (ten to fifteen hours) a week and services are gradually titrated down as stability is achieved.

The following Domains of Functioning are assessed to develop the intensive outpatient rehabilitation plan:

Understanding one's illness and medication is essential for successful rehabilitation. Knowing how to manage symptoms and recognize warning signs improves stability and helps prevent relapse. Medical and dental issues can also be addressed, when necessary.

Appearance, attitude, and confidence have a major impact on how one gets along with other people. The Team offers training in social problem solving and basic conversation skills. There are also specialized programs that teach skills on how to overcome obstacles, such as answering questions that are intimidating in a social setting. In addition the Team teaches appropriate levels of disclosure, such as how and when to share personal information.

Using leisure time to recreate adds balance to life. Being inactive often results in boredom, which produces stress, negatively impacting stress-vulnerable illnesses. Exercise helps us to look and feel better, thus improving physical and mental health. The Team uses recreation to motivate people to become active, enhance social networking, and build self-confidence.

Feeling organized and on top of one's personal business is comforting and rewarding. Being unkempt or overwhelmed with legal issues, SSI problems, or overdue bills can be very stressful and diminish self-confidence. Planning, budgeting, and tracking are essential skills for independent living. The Team teaches organizational skills and systems for time management and money management, and can address all of the activities of daily living, such as hygiene, grocery shopping, house cleaning, etc.

Family relationships often become strained when one family member has a mental illness, even when family members try to be helpful. The Team can assist with communication and problem solving within the family, and can assume the management role in treatment. Advice or direction is often met with resistance when offered to the patient by a family member, but is generally received more favorably from a trusted professional. This helps keep treatment on course and provides a buffer to avoid confrontation during stressful times within the family. Our Family Services Program provides many benefits for family members.

The overarching goal of recovery is to enjoy a useful and productive life. The role of the Life Adjustment Team is to help define our client's abilities and talents, provide direction to create short, medium, and long-term goals, and implement the plans to carry them out in a supportive, respectful, and empowering manner.

Our belief system is a combination of our experience, knowledge and insight. When faced with a difficult situation in life, we tend to focus on the problem and not the solution, which leads us to fear-based decision making. What we focus on determines our state of mind and our attitude. It is essential to teach clients to focus on solutions by developing a positive attitude toward rehabilitation, based on belief in themselves and the Treatment Team.