Psychiatric Quarterly [psaq] ph084-psaq-363101 June 21, 2002 13:53 Style file version Nov. 19th, 1999
Psychiatric Quarterly, Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2002 (
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2002)
PSYCHOSOCIAL REHABILITATION IN A
PUBLIC PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL
Daniele A. Longo, Ph.D., Karen Marsh-Williams, O.T.R./L.,
and Frederic Tate, Rh.D.
Patients with chronic mental illnesses have complex treatment needs that
often pose significant challenges to mental health professionals. This paper
describes the implementation of a psychosocial rehabilitation program to meet
the treatment needs of patients in a public psychiatric hospital providing long-
term care. A core group of professional staff adopted psychosocial rehabilitation
principles in order to transform a custodial model of care to a highly interac-
tive educational and skills building program. A model of service delivery was
established to address patients’ skill deficits and barriers to returning to the
community. This article describes the major steps and challenges faced in over-
coming obstacles and implementing a psychosocial philosophy of treatment in
Daniele A. Longo, Ph.D. is a Psychology Supervisor in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation
Program at Eastern State Hospital, Williamsburg, VA, and an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Cinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Eastern Virginia Medical
School, Norfolk, VA.
Karen Marsh-Williams, OTR is the Rehabilitation Director at Eastern State Hospital.
Frederic Tate is a Staff Psychologist in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program at
Eastern State Hospital.
Address correspondence to Daniele A. Longo, Ph.D., 4601 Ironbound Rd., Williamsburg,
VA 23187; e-mail: Dlongo@esh.state.va.us.
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0033-2720/02/0900-0205/0
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2002 Human Sciences Press, Inc.
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