Life Care Planning for People With Severe and Persistent Mental Illness: An Overlooked Practice Setting?

Severe and persistent mental illness may be an untapped resource for life care planners. Such illnesses are often chronic and debilitating, requiring a complex and comprehensive treatment plan. Treatment usually involves pharmacotherapy as well as psychotherapeutic interventions (i.e., individual therapy, psychoeducation, vocational counseling). Comorbid conditions such as substance abuse are common among individuals with mental illness and present increased challenges for effective treatment and rehabilitation. This article explores two major mental illnesses, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and preliminary considerations for life care planning within this population.