The adult development program: an educational approach to the delivery of mental health services

The adult development program is an intensive, shortterm program for individuals who want to change their behavior. It is based on an educational model; participants, who are called students, set their own behavior-change goals, and a multidisciplinary staff teach them techniques for reaching those goals. The program curriculum consists of about 20 seminars and workshops, which give the students an opportunity to learn and to practice new behaviors. Students pay fees that vary from $40 to $500 per month depending on the number of classes they take. Approximately 1750 students have participated in the program since it began six years ago.