The Tuesday Evening Club: Using Community Resources to Treat Chronically III Patients

In cooperation with a rehabilitation agency, the adult outpatient department of a community mental health center has developed a group treatment program for chronically ill patients in the community. Conducted in the framework of an activity program, the Tuesday Evening Club is based on a structured network of concrete community experiences. The techniques used indude promoting socialization, encouraging members to verbalize their feelings, helping them learn from negative interactions, and, for some, structured group psychotherapy. Patients who achieve certain successes graduate to a separate therapeutic program established at the YMCA.