1Best Practice Guidelines for COGNITIVE REHABILITATION FOR PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS

Nebraska-Lincoln. The focus of her research and clinical work is in the area of the rehabilitation of the severely and persistently mentally ill. She has participated in research on the innovative cognitive rehabilitation technique of shaping procedures integrated with modular skills training to increase attention spans and has co-authored a book chapter entitiled "Cognitive-Behavioural Therapies in Psychiatric Rehabilitation". Jason Peer, M.A. is a graduate student in clinical psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His research and clinical interests are in the area of the rehabilitation of persons with severe and persistent mental illness. Specific research interests include investigating how neurocognitive and social cognitive variables impact response to rehabilitation interventions and how these variables may interact with clinical variables in this population. Will Spaulding, Ph.D. is professor of psychology, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, and a consulting psychologist with the Community Transition Program, Lincoln Regional Center. His interests include the clinical and experimental psychopathology of severe and disabling mental illness, psychiatric rehabilitation, cognitive and neurocognitive assessment and treatment, mental health policy and service provision for severe mental illness. 2Theoretical Rationale for Cognitive Rehabilitation There is little doubt that neurocognitive recovery occurs in people with severe mental illness. At least since the 1970's specific interventions, ranging from practice on laboratory tasks to comprehensive rehabilitation approaches, have shown that specific aspects of performance can improve (Corrigan & Storzbach, 1993; Spaulding, Storms