Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) is an evidence based practice that helps people with schizophrenia and related mental illnesses improve their processing speed, cognition (attention, memory, and problem solving), and social cognition (the awareness to interact wisely with others).
Research strongly suggests that impairments in these mental capacities contribute to functional disability in people with schizophrenia. CET rehabilitates these capacities and, thus, maximizes success in all activities of recovery. As a result, CET participants increase their potential to engage in meaningful social roles and to live independent, self-determined, and satisfying lives in the community.
CET is not cognitive behavioral therapy. Nor does it focus on teaching “skills”. CET helps individuals develop and enhance the mental capacities that produce the awareness for selfdirected social interactions that are wise, appropriate, and effective. (please see CBT or CET on the FAQ's page).
Effect Sizes of CET & EST Enriched Supportive Therapy at 12 and 24 Months by Composite Index
Samuel M. Flesher, Ph. D., was recruited by PLAN of NE Ohio to come to Cleveland in 2000 to establish the first CET Program outside of academia. Over the next nine years, the CET Program in Cleveland has been extensively field tested and refined under the guidance of Dr. Flesher. A user friendly manual has been written and is continually updated.
Starting in 2004, CETCleveland has been disseminated to six sites in three states. 60 CET groups have been completed; eight groups are currently being run and six groups are in the process of recruiting members. All the sites report similar results with 90% attendance, 85% graduation rate and CET graduates truly progressing in their recovery. Currently there are eight dissemination sites in development across the USA.
CETCleveland is a program offered by the Center for Cognition and Recovery, LLC(CCR). The CCR is a non-profit joint venture developed by JFSA of Cleveland and PLAN of NE Ohio, Inc. to disseminate CETCleveland to other mental health providers. CETCleveland has truly been a transformative treatment for our clients, their families, our staff and our organizations. We want to share this remarkable treatment as widely as possible.