the process of enhancing the recovery of individuals with severe mental illness by teaching or restoring psychological, behavioral, social, and vocational skills that will enable them to function in their community and by facilitating that endeavor through a continuum of services such as psychotherapy, family psychoeducation, illness management, and supported employment. The services may be initiated just before a patient’s discharge from residential treatment and provided on an ongoing basis thereafter, but they are also available to individuals with severe mental illness who have not been institutionalized. The services are usually provided by specialized professionals (e.g., therapists, vocational counselors, employment specialists, social workers) who use focused programs and techniques to assist these individuals in achieving functional independence. Also called psychiatric rehabilitation.