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Cognitive rehabilitation through specialized computer training can be invaluable in helping memory retention, problem solving, concentration, sequential planning, and even reading skills.

According to Dr. Jonas Waizer, Chief Operating Officer for Behavioral and Health Related Services at Federation Employment Guidance Services (F.E.G.S): "Frequently, when people experience a long term serious psychiatric illness and become removed from day to day life, their thinking skills may be impaired, affecting their ability for sustained and organized thought. Yet the bleak prognosis for full recovery once faced by these people has dramatically improved in the past several years because of new psychotropic medications that allow them to better manage their symptoms, and due to the use of computers by professionals using sophisticated learning software programs for cognitive rehabilitation. When clients use these programs, they stimulate the parts of their brains that are needed to function in the world; including memory, logical analysis and task management."

Federation Employment Guidance Services (F·E·G·S), a beneficiary agency of UJA/Federation of New York, and a comprehensive, voluntary organization serving more than 50,000 individuals each year, has initiated cognitive rehabilitation services for consumers recovering from a wide range of psychiatric disabilities. The program is offered under license to New York State Office of Mental Health as Outpatient Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation (IPRT). Working closely with a team of neuropsychological specialists, Rehabilitation Practitioners provide the latest state-of-the-art clinical techniques developed by Alice Medalia, Ph.D., Director of Neuropsychology at the Department of Psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, an authority in the field of cognitive rehabilitation.

User-friendly popular computer software such as Where in the World is Carmen Santiago?, Stocktopus, and Sim City are experienced by consumers as a lot of fun and games while promoting the necessary skills. Seemingly irreversible neurological damage can be repaired in the context of an enjoyable learning experience. Memory retention, sustaining attention, problem solving, concentration, sequential planning and even reading skills all improve.

Michael B. wrote in the Consumer Lab Newsletter "I like the program Math for the Real World because it has many features and different ways of answering problems. The way they do it is really fun and helps me with my problem solving and attention and how to manage money!"

Consumers attend the Cognitive Rehab lab twice a week for one hour. The consumers experience the computers as their personal, patient teachers offering consistent feedback that is non-judgmental and non-threatening. The feedback is designed not only to tell consumers if they are not doing something right, but more importantly to offer suggestions on how to approach the problem when done again. Consumers further have access to the computer lab as a resource room.

The psychiatric recovery program assists consumers in making informed choices about where they wish to live, learn, work or socialize in the community while providing the support and skills to achieve these goals. The skills gained in the cognitive training accelerate consumers progress toward greater autonomy for desired life goals built around independent living skills, which require planning ahead, organizing and keeping a schedule, budgeting, shopping, paying the bills, and educational and vocational pursuits.

Consumers who have gone through the cognitive training demonstrate significant improvement in their ability to make plans, carry out complex tasks, and think in a more organized way. An overall improvement of their psychiatric picture helps them to rebuild more productive and fulfilling lives.
To learn more about the F·E·G·S psychiatric recovery programs in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx or to make a referral please call Ellen Stoller at (212) 366-8038.