Introduction to the series

In most states, barbers and manicurists are required to be licensed. To work on a car's transmission, a certified technician is often required. Yet, the staff who provide the great majority of care to people who have the most serious mental illnesses are generally not required to have any special qualifications. Even those with established credentials are often considered ill-prepared for this work. Certainly, people with these disorders deserve the highest quality services, yet there has been insufficient attention to ensuring they receive it. To the contrary, there is ample evidence that the services usually provided are mediocre at best. At the same time, there is no question psychiatric rehabilitation is coming of age. State mental health systems are attempting to organize their services around its principles (Barton, 1998,1999). It is now a Medicaid covered service in more than 40 states. State departments of mental health fund it in other ways as well. In the last few years there are practice guidelines (IAPSRS, 1997), program accreditation standards (Council on Accreditation, 1996), and a code of ethics (IAPSRS 1996, 2000) all specific to psychiatric rehabilitation. The Registry of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioners (RPRP) was first published in 1998. Several states require this credential. In addition, there have been numerous studies of the competen-