Integrating psychiatric rehabilitation into managed care

Psychiatric rehabilitation is a necessary service component in ally managed care system that is designed to serve persons with severe mental illness. The focus of the present paper is to discuss the what where, why, how when, and who issues related to integrating psychiatric rehabilitation into a managed care system. The psychiatric rehabilitation process and outcomes are briefly overviewed and differentiated from other needed managed care services (What), Settings for psychiatric rehabilitation are identified (Where). The rationale for psychiatric rehabilitation in managed care is addressed by focusing on medical necessity, research findings, and the value base of psychiatric rehabilitation (Why). Issues in measuring psychiatric rehabilitation outcomes and process are discussed (How). Readiness for rehabilitation is conceptualized as both a client measure and as a program/system measure (When). The characteristics of personnel needed to implement psychiatric rehabilitation within managed care are noted (Who), In summary, the absence of psychiatric rehabilitation services in a managed care system is logically, empirically and ethically unacceptable.