Skills Training

Independent living skills are classified as activities or knowledge sets that are important in order for people to live successfully on their own. This includes a variety of different skill sets such as cooking, cleaning, and managing finances. People that need this type of training may have never received any prior experience learning how to manage these actions due to mental health issues or simply because their parents or school systems neglected to cover these things.

Regardless of the reason, independent living skills are crucial in order to function on your own. While this may seem challenging with a mental health disorder. Hidden Strengths helps individuals learn crucial living skills in conjunction with how to manage their mental health symptoms. This is a comprehensive training program that gives people their independence.

What Skills are Reviewed During Training?

Common independent skills include:

• Maintaining a home/household: how to clean and organize your living space.
• How to cook and understand basic nutrition: how to cook basic meals and read nutrition information for food.
• Financial planning: how to balance a checkbook, pay your bills, and maintain a monthly or even weekly budget. This can also include how to save and invest.
• Career planning and job searching: how to apply for a job and write a resume and cover letter.
• Understanding proper workplace behavior: what to wear to work and how to interact with colleagues appropriately.
• Effective communication: how to explain something in clear concise language and understand how your body language is interpreted.
• Fitness and exercise: scheduling time to work out and what types of workouts are appropriate for your body.
• Time management: how to overcome procrastination and maintain a healthy, balanced schedule.
• Understanding your local community: have an understanding of where the nearest grocery store is located, your bank, your post office, or any other stores you may frequent regularly.
• Transportation: locating the nearest bus stop or parking garage. Or if you ride a bike, learn how to get from point a to point b.
• Overall health and wellness: learn how to identify symptoms of a cold or other ailments and how to treat them. This also includes knowing when to seek professional medical advice.
• Hygiene and personal grooming standards: the importance of showering and brushing your teeth regularly as well as how to clean and maintain your clothing.

While most of these items seem like they may be simple, for many that have suffered from mental health conditions, this can be overwhelming. This can be due to their mental health symptoms making it difficult for them to focus on basic independent living skills, or they may have simply never been taught. For whatever reason, we work with people to help equip them to live independently.

Having independent living skills training available can provide adults with the support they need in order to make informed decisions about their lives and gain the confidence necessary for independent life success.

Through independent living skills training, people can see benefits such as:

• Increased self-esteem
• Improved communication with family, friends, and colleagues
• Better and stronger relationships with loved ones
• Improved mental and physical health
• More overall satisfaction in daily life

Independent living skills training helps those with mental health disorders by teaching them the skills they need to be independent and self-sufficient.  Learning independent living skills can make all the difference in an individual’s ability to move forward into adulthood successfully.

How Does This Training Work with Other Treatments for Mental Health?

Independent living skills training is just one part of a comprehensive treatment plan for mental health. It coordinates with other treatments like medication, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes to help you reach your independent living goals in the most effective way possible.

Independent living skill training may also be combined with case management services or other independent living support services to help you stay on track and develop the skills necessary for independent living. These services may include assistance with housing, employment, transportation benefits, legal rights and entitlements, educational resources, and more.

We will work together to identify independent living skill sets that are most essential to your mental health and independent living goals.