The Center

Psychiatric Rehabilitation – Readiness Assessment

Updated:  June 21, 2006

Readiness Assessment is the first Psychiatric Rehabilitation strategy undertaken when someone is engaged in service provision. It is a person-centered self-assessment which enables both the recipient and the provider to determine the next steps in psychiatric rehabilitation. Unlike other approaches and assessments, the individual's diagnosis or symptoms do not set the stage, and rarely are symptoms severe enough to prevent involvement. A Readiness Assessment helps determine how motivated a recipient is to actively participate in a process of choosing and preparing to function in a specific role. This is not about whether or not someone is ready to work or ready to live more independently. Instead, it is about gaining insight into motivation and confidence to take on a new role in a living, learning, working, or socializing environment. In Assessing Readiness two key questions are raised and explored: is the individual hopeful, confident, and motivated enough to choose, get and keep a new role, and if not, what are the barriers impeding motivational readiness?

Together, the individual and the provider gather, process, and analyze information pertaining to the specific environment in which a recipient requires assistance. The five factors of readiness discussed include: need for change, commitment to change, self-awareness, environmental awareness, and personal closeness. Emphasis is placed on the two initial factors. Understanding “need for change” requires a process of determining the recipient’s level of dissatisfaction with their current situation and the extent to which the individual is perceived as successful in that environment. “Commitment to change” involves exploring a recipient’s beliefs about change, such as how desirable change may be, the benefits of change, and the perceived abilities and supports needed to undertake a change process. “Self” and “environmental awareness” pertain to an individual’s knowledge of personal values, preferences, and potential environments. A heightened awareness of these factors can help someone to feel both inspired and hopeful. “Personal closeness” refers to how the recipient views the assistance they are receiving and their relationships with staff. In short, the provider is facilitating a process whereby the individual gains insight into their attitudes and feelings about change. Between the individual and the provider, a mutually agreed upon service plan and rehabilitation strategy begins to take form.