Supported education: an additional program resource for young adults with long term mental illness.

Young adults with long term mental illness have been a particular challenge to mental health programs. Supported education is designed to present young adults with a programming resource which is significantly different from most existing mental health and rehabilitation programs. In this article the supported education concept is defined and alternative program models used to implement the concept are described. Young adults who have successfully experienced each of these program models discuss their experiences. Suggestions are presented as to how mental health and rehabilitation programs could develop supported education programs.