ASPE Technical Expert Panel on Earlier Intervention for Serious Mental Illness: Summary of Major Themes

Current disability policy provides support for people with a mental illness once they are no longer able to work and thus qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The concept of earlier intervention involves providing services and supports for people before they are disabled enough to qualify for SSI or SSDI in order to keep them connected to employment, community and family life. One of the major challenges of intervening earlier is the need to align policies relating to income support, disability benefits, health care insurance and delivery, employment supports, rehabilitation services and evidence-based practices for the treatment and rehabilitation of mental impairments. This report is a summary of a Technical Expert Panel convened by ASPE in May 2009 to explore earlier intervention for this population. [10 PDF pages]