WHAT ARE
COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRIC SUPPORT SERVICES?
Community
Psychiatric Support Program (CPS) services are also known as adult
case management services. CPS/case management is a collection of
services that can assist you and your family, as appropriate and
desired, with access to psychiatric, medical, social, financial,
education, and other resources. Community Psychiatric Support
Services focuses on assisting you in identifying and accessing those
services and supports that will help you lead a more satisfying
life. CPS services are usually long term and ongoing and are
designed to make sure that you receive the kind of care and services
that you need in order to live successfully in the community, become
involved in meaningful activities and to function at your best. CPS
helps you to set up and coordinate not only services from The
Counseling Center, but also those from other health professionals,
schools, courts and social agencies.
WHAT CAN I
EXPECT FROM My CPS CASE MANAGER?
·
CPS
services are provided by case managers who are licensed mental
health professionals. CPS case managers can provide counseling and
much personal support to you and your family; but their main
function is to help set up and coordinate all of the other types of
care and services you may need and to make sure those services are
as helpful as possible.
·
Your CPS case manager will meet with you mainly in your home, at
work, or in other community settings, instead of in a traditional
mental health agency office.
·
Your CPS case manager will meet with you at times that are mutually
agreeable. However, he/she will also be available to you as
unexpected questions or needs might arise in between appointment
times.
·
Your CPS case manager will listen carefully to understand you, your
situation and your needs. Your CPS case manager will provide caring
support and direction to help you discover solutions and make
decisions that will work best for you and your family.
·
No
matter what you say or do, your CPS case manager is not likely to
criticize you as a person. However, he/she may suggest different
ways of behaving or looking at problems. He/she may also teach you
new ways of handling conflict, coping with stress or communicating
with others. At times, it might feel like your CPS case manager is
pushing or challenging you, but this is normal and often a sign of
future progress.
·
At
the outset, your CPS case manager will help you set treatment goals.
With clear goals, CPS services can be much more successful. Your CPS
case manager will also occasionally ask you to assess progress
toward those goals and may ask you fill out a questionnaire to see
how services are working for you.
·
Your CPS case manager may also sometimes make "homework assignments"
for you and your family members to do between sessions to practice
new skills.
·
Depending on your needs, your CPS case manager might suggest other
kinds of additional treatment services. If you agree to participate
in those services, your CPS case manager will help with
arrangements.
·
In some cases, your CPS case manager might suggest that you see one
of the agency's psychiatrists to determine if certain kinds of
medication might help improve your functioning or emotional well
being. However, if you agree to take medication, realize that
medications are only for symptom relief. By themselves, they do not
solve the underlying problems causing the symptoms. If you use
medication, it is very important to continue with your CPS
services while using your medication.
·
Your CPS case manager and all other professionals from The
Counseling Center keep all information about you even the fact that
you're in therapy, in strict confidence. They will not share any
information about you or family members with anyone outside of The
Counseling Center without written permission. The only exceptions
would be (a) if you had a legal guardian, (b) if you share
information that raises concerns about your or someone else's safety
or (c) if professionals from The Counseling Center are ordered by a
court of law to provide information about you.
HOW MUCH
TIME DO CPS SERVICES TAKE?
The frequency
of contact with your CPS case manager will depend on your situation
and your needs.
Contacts may
occur only briefly once every several weeks, or can run as long as
several hours or more, several times a week. Because the people
involved in CPS services often have complex needs, case management
tends to be long-term.
HOW CAN I MAKE
CPS SERVICES SUCCESSFUL FOR ME?
·
Adult CPS case management services cannot guarantee results. You
will get as much out of it as you put into it.
·
To assure that services are as helpful as possible, you will need to
be completely honest and open with your CPS case manager about your
experiences, thoughts and feelings.
·
Be on time for all scheduled appointments. Your CPS case manager may
look at missed appointments or cancellation with less than 24-hour
advance notice as signals that you are not ready for change.
·
While you are receiving CPS services, don't abuse alcohol or drugs
and be sure to take any medications only as prescribed. Abuse of
legal, illegal or prescription chemical substances, is one of the
most common reasons why any type of mental health service is
unsuccessful.
·
Don't drop out too early. It's OK to have uncomfortable thoughts or
feelings, to feel frustrated and to be tempted to quit, especially
in the early stages of CPS services. But experience shows that, if
you can push beyond those thoughts and feelings, you can make
significant gains.
·
Above all, remember that the only person who can make changes happen
for you is you. Your CPS case manager can be a valuable
assistant; but, in the end, you are responsible for your decisions.
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