The economic impact of a lack of educational achievement for individuals with psychiatric disabilities is profound. Current poor economic conditions exacerbate the effects of low educational levels. This article presents the current educational barriers faced by individuals with psychiatric disabilities and introduces one potential solution: supported education. Supported education is an emerging best practice which holds promise for helping individuals with psychiatric disabilities in their pursuit of educational goals. However, additional barriers stand in the way of widespread supported education implementation. Recommendations are included for policymakers and community mental health centers to help increase the penetration of this much-needed service.

There has been recent concern that many practices and programs erroneously claim to be strengths-based. In reaction some have called for researchers to make systematic comparisons to the tenets of strengths-based practice (SBP) before making the contention that an intervention is strengths-based. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an intervention which has been described as being strengths-based; however, no systematic efforts have yet been made to compare the two. This article takes a methodical approach to comparing SBP and MI to determine level of cohesion and how they might be used together. A case-example is used to illustrate how MI and SBP may be used in conjunction and implications for social work practice and education are discussed.

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This article reviews research which supports the use of Motivational Interviewing (MI) as an evidence-based practice (EBP) within vocational rehabilitation (VR). A large body of data indicates that motivation is an important element in returning to work, and initial studies using MI in the employment field are encouraging. Vocational rehabilitation counseling shares foundational principles with MI, suggesting that MI may fit well within the VR context. This article contains application suggestions for both VR administrators and counselors. An illustration of how MI could be used in the VR field is provided, and unique challenges for the application of MI within the VR context are discussed.

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