The Working Alliance Inventory: modification and use with people with serious mental illnesses in a vocational rehabilitation program.

Sixty-four people with serious mental illness participating in a vocational rehabilitation program completed a modified version of the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI), an instrument designed to assess therapeutic alliance. Individuals and their providers completed parallel forms. Reliability data show that the modified instrument demonstrates fair to moderate test re-test reliability and modest internal consistency. Marked discrepancies in perceptions of the working alliance were reported by participants and providers. Implications for supervision of vocational providers are discussed, and suggestions are made for further investigation.