What is Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS)?
ARMHS is a program regulated and funded through the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The program provides intensive rehabilitative services to people at least 18 years of age who have a mental health diagnosis. Any person eligible for or currently receiving Medical Assistance can receive ARMHS. Services address teaching mental health symptom management skills, basic living skills and social skills. The goal of ARMHS is to help people manage and recover from their mental health diagnosis to accomplish life goals and self-sufficiency in employment, social relations, and independent living.
What can I expect from services?
Once matched with a mental health practitioner (commonly referred to as an AMRHS worker), the worker and the program participant arrange ongoing meetings based on the level of need of the participant. Generally, participants meet with their worker once a week. These meetings can take place in the participant's home or somewhere else in the community, such as the library or local coffee shop. The first few meetings with a mental health practitioner will be focused on identifying the participant's areas of strength and need, and developing a definition and vision of recovery. A goal plan will then be created to map out active steps that can be taken to work toward the recovery vision, including strategies for coping with the symptoms of mental illness, skills for living independently, and improving connections with others. The goal plans are centered on the desires and needs of participants, which fuels internal motivation to create change. Once the plan is in place the practitioner and participant actively work together, step-by-step toward the goals, for up to six months. After six months, the participant and practitioner assess how the plan is going, what has been accomplished, and what changes, if any, need to be made in order to keep moving toward the recovery vision. Services continue in this manner until the participant's recovery goals are met or there is no longer need for continued skill building and support.
What living skills or topics are typically addressed?