A pilot community living skills group: An evaluation

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a 12-week pilot community living skills (CLS) group for eight adults with enduring mental health needs; five of these adults met the inclusion criterion for the study. The group was established to promote skills for home management, community living, personal care and safety, and social and interpersonal functioning. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and a client satisfaction questionnaire were used as broad measurement tools: the COPM was scored pre-group and post-group and the questionnaire was completed following the final session. A follow-up home visit was carried out by therapists to gauge further the skill transfer from group to home environment. In the tasks identified according to the COPM pre-group and post-group, performance and satisfaction scores were improved slightly. The questionnaire results indicated high levels of client satisfaction. The topics rated as most helpful were of a practical nature and those enjoyed less were of a discursive nature. The post-group home visits demonstrated an improvement in the majority of group members in effective task management within the home. The implications for future occupational therapy and research are considered on the basis of the findings. These demonstrate that a basic form of evaluation can be used effectively to promote good clinical practice and, on this occasion, the need for future CLS groups. They also serve to demonstrate the need for a larger scale, more in-depth evaluation of CLS groups within mental health practice.