Why set up a CET Cleveland Program at your organization?
By Ray Gonzalez, ACSW, Ex. Dir. of the CCR
When I went to the EPICS Program at the University of Pittsburgh’s Medical Center, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in July 1998 and saw video tapes of clients before CET and after, I was hooked. The clients shown in the before CET tapes were very similar to the clients I had been trying to help for over 25 years as a psychiatric social worker.
The clients and the video tapes in the CET research group I saw were unlike most people recovering from schizophrenia. While still impaired, they were engaged, paying attention, able to work on challenging, complex cognitive exercises and having fun. Having been challenged by my Board at PLAN of NE Ohio (see www.planneohio.org for information on PLAN) to find a cognitive intervention, I knew I had hit pay dirt.
I was able to recruit Sam Flesher, Ph. D., the co-developer of CET to come to Cleveland in 2000 to train us in CET. Sam warned me that CET was going to not only help our clients but also change our organization. He has proven to be a prophet; CET is not only transformative in how it has helped our clients but it has also transformed our organization:
· We see more clearly our clients’ disabilities
· Impaired cognition is the rate limiting factor in recovery from severe mental illness.
· Results of many studies show that remediation can improve impaired cognition.
· Client’s with improve cognition have a better chance at functional recovery.
· CET has given us concepts and a language to work more deeply with our clients
· We have gone from being a first rate case work organization to being a first rate, innovative rehabilitation organization
· We have helped over half of our clients improve their social cognition and vocational effectiveness
· Our clients and their families are much more engaged with each other and with their communities (“I feel like I have my daughter/son back.” is a frequent comment from parents. See testimonial page)
· CET graduates attend more groups and volunteer more
· With a 90% attendance rate, running CET groups can be a dependable funding stream
· By having a CET Program, we have solidified our reputation as an innovative organization that goes the extra mile for our clients
There have inquires about using just cognitive remediation software as studies have shown that this can be effective. But our experience has shown that a holistic rehabilitation model is most effective. As Michael F. Green, Ph.D. writing in the July 2009 Journal of the American Psychiatry Association sates: “ . . one sees clinically meaningful effects when the cognitive remediation is used to facilitate a learning process that enables patients to engage in a broader rehabilitation effort, but not otherwise. In essence, a basic cognition-enhancing strategy has to be combined with the teaching of psychosocial skills and strategies to improve patients’ lives.
To obtain a DVD including video clips of CET groups, exercises and graduations, and to discuss establishing a CET Program at your organization, please call Ray Gonzalez, LISW-S ACSW, Executive Director of the Center for Cognition and Recovery at 216-504-6428 Fax: 216-504-6421