This popular manual presents an empirically tested format and ready-made curricula for skills training groups in a range of settings. Part I takes therapists and counselors step by step through assessing clients' existing skills, teaching new skills, and managing common treatment challenges. Part II comprises over 60 ready-to-photocopy skill sheets. Each sheet--essentially a complete lesson plan--explains the rationale for the skill at hand, breaks it down into smaller steps, suggests role-play scenarios, and highlights special considerations. Of special value for practitioners, the 8 1/2" x 11" format makes it easy to reproduce and use the practical materials in the book.

This unique manual presents cognitive-behavioral social skills training (CBSST), a step-by-step, empirically supported intervention that helps clients with schizophrenia achieve recovery goals related to living, learning, working, and socializing. CBSST interweaves three evidence-based practices--cognitive-behavioral therapy, social skills training, and problem-solving training--and can be delivered in individual or group contexts. Highly user friendly, the manual includes provider scripts, teaching tools, and engaging exercises and activities. Reproducible consumer workbooks for each module include skills summaries and worksheets. The large-size format facilitates photocopying; purchasers also get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials. Listed in SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices

"Social skills training (SST) continues to be a widely accepted and recommended intervention for improving the psychosocial functioning of persons with schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses. The book begins by providing useful background information, including the nature and importance of social skills (Chapter 1), updated evidence supporting the effectiveness of SST (Chapter 2), and assessment and goal-setting for SST (Chapter 3). The next group of chapters addresses the practicalities of providing SST groups and are also similar to the second edition, including methods for teaching social skills (Chapter 4), starting an SST group (Chapter 5), choosing curricula for an SST group (Chapter 6), tailoring SST to meet individual participant needs (Chapter 7), and solutions to common challenges encountered when providing SST (Chapter 8). The third edition of this book differs from the second edition in the variety of special topics related to SST that are addressed. While the second edition had only one such chapter on providing SST to individuals with comorbid substance use problems, in addition to retaining (and updating) this chapter (Chapter 9), the third edition also has six additional chapters on special topics, including younger individuals who are either at risk for psychosis or recovering from a first episode of psychosis (Chapter 10), technology-based communication skills (Chapter 11), SST with older individuals (Chapter 12), providing SST in residential or inpatient settings (Chapter 13), cultural factors when providing SST (Chapter 14), and gender and sexual identity issues and sexual harassment (Chapter 15)"--

It is perhaps trite to refer to human beings as social animals, but never theless it is true. A substantial portion of our lives is spent in interactions with other people. Moreover, the nature, quality, and quantity of those interactions have a tremendous impact on behavior, mood, and the adequacy of adjustment. Faulty interpersonal relationship patterns have reliably been associated with a wide variety of behavioral-psychological dysfunctions ranging from simple loneliness to schizophrenia. Most "traditional" analyses of interpersonal failures have viewed them as consequences or by-products of other difficulties, such as anx iety, depression, intrapsychic conflict, or thought disorder. Con sequently, remediational efforts have rarely been directed to interper sonal behavior per se. Rather, it has been expected that interpersonal relationships would improve when the source disorder was eliminated. While this model does account for some interpersonal dysfunctions (e.g., social anxiety can inhibit interpersonal behavior), it is not adequate to account for the vast majority of interpersonal difficulties. In fact, in many cases those difficulties either are independent of or underlie other dysfunctions (e.g., repeated social failure may produce depression or social anxiety).

Social skills are critical to psychological adjustment across the lifespan. These skills are necessary for attaining a variety of important social, emotional, and interpersonal goals. Social skill definits and resulting negative social interactions are associated with a wide variety of adjustment problems and psychological disorders. Social Skills across the Life Span: Theory is a comprehensive social skills volume providing in-depth coverage of theory, assessment, and intervention. Divided into three major sections, the volume begins with the definition of social competence, developmental factors, and relations to adjustment. This is followed by coverage of general assessment and intervention issues across the lifespan. In the third section, program developers describe specific evidence-based interventions. Identifies how social skills influence social competence and well being Addresses the full lifespan Reviews methods to assess and intervene with children and adults Details evidence-based interventions for children and adults

Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) is a group psychotherapy for individuals with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

This work is truly a guidebook-succinct, concrete, clearly written, and unambiguously specific. Based upon learning principles, the text naturally presents a linear and hierarchical exposition. The reader is never in doubt about what steps should follow what step. Each topic is broken down into readily assimilable components.