Serious mental illness usually first occurs in young adults between the ages o f 18 and 25, and often disrupts the completion o f normal developmental tasks. Young adults making career plans, attending college and/or vocational school, frequently drop out after the onset o f psychiatric illness. Their attempts to return to the postsecondary environment to complete their studies are, more often than not, unsuccessful. These failures are largely due to the lack o f support available at colleges or through mental health systems. The Houston Community College System and the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority o f Harris County have combined efforts and resources in an attempt to make the college setting more accommodating to the psychiatrically disabled student. The accommodations can be seen through the development o f programs such as the Community Service Aide Training Program (a 1-year program in which the student receives 27 college credits and a certificate after completing the program), and the Entry/Re-entry Program (designed to facilitate entry and/or return o f a student to a postsecondary environment). An Office o f Supported Education for Psychiatrically Disabled Students has also been established. The office not only oversees the above programs but ensures that students who are enrolled in other programs receive reasonable accommodations as well as the supports necessary to improve their chances 42 Psychosocial Rehabilitation JournalThis document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.