Order the Life Skills Manual

The Life Skills Manual: Strategies for Maintaining Residential Stability

developed by Christine Helfrich, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, under several grants from NIDILRR. 

This evidence-based curriculum was developed between 2009 and 2012 in response to a lack of resources available for adults who desire to learn practical life skills to live independently in the community. It is intended to provide the content and resources needed to teach life skills to a wide variety of individuals who need assistance in this area. The curriculum is designed to be implemented in six group sessions with an individual workbook to help consumers individualize the group content at their own pace. Facilitator’s guides are provided for every group and individual activity. Numerous handouts allow for uniformity and application. The entire curriculum is meant to be adaptable to a wide range of settings. Service providers can adjust the pace and intensity of the material as they see fit for a particular population. The content was created in partnership with individuals who were trying to live independently in the community, individuals who were homeless, service delivery workers from a range of disciplines that work with individuals for whom life skills are challenging, peer leaders, peer recovery specialists, and various consultants in order to create an effective, feasible, and age-appropriate curriculum.

Individuals may choose to participate in modules which focus on the following areas:

  • Food and Nutrition Management: The Food and Nutrition Management module features activities to learn strategies for preparing healthy meals and snacks, eating healthily on a budget, and identifying food resources in the community.
  • Money Management: The Money Management module features strategies for budgeting, saving money, protecting one’s credit and identity theft.
  • Home and Self Care: The Home and Self Care module features activities to increase knowledge and skills on topics such as personal hygiene, management of health conditions, maintaining one’s living space, and obtaining and caring for clothing.
  • Safe Community Participation: The Safe Community Participation module features topics such as personal, home, and community safety, as well as how to handle emergencies. 

Instructions for assembling the full Life Skills Manual are included with each module. Practical Skills Tests originally developed for the project are not included.

Please complete the orderform below. An information specialist will respond within one business day. You must include an email address to receive an electronic copy of the manual (there is no download option). 

Electronic copies are available free of charge. Print copies are available with a fee of 5¢ per page to cover copying and shipping. Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Please note: The material presented in this manual is under copyright and may not be photocopied or distributed without permission from the author.

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