Serious Mental Illness 101

Resources for mental health clinicians who want to build their foundational knowledge and skills for work with individuals who have serious mental illness (SMI)
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Welcome to the Serious Mental Illness 101 Resource Center

SMI Adviser provides an array of helpful resources if you are early in your career, new to the mental health field, or transitioning into a new role. It can be complex when you work with individuals who have SMI. That is why you should invest time to learn about the basics. When you have a strong foundation of knowledge and skills around SMI, you can provide person-centered care and help individuals and families find the best possible outcomes.

Everything that SMI Adviser offers is completely free. Resources that you can access here include:

  • Live and on-demand webinars — browse hundreds of free online courses on topics unique to SMI
  • Clinician-to-clinician consultations — ask questions and receive a personalized response from our national experts within one business day
  • Intensive consultations — our experts can work closely with practices, health systems, and communities to find and implement solutions for systemic issues around SMI
  • Clinical tips and resources — find evidence-based fact sheets, guides, videos, infographics and more

The Serious Mental Illness 101 Resource Center is led by Benjamin Druss, MD, MPH, SMI Adviser Health Systems Expert, and Jose Viruet, LCPC, SMI Adviser Community Care Expert.

  • Resources
  • Education
  • Consultation
Ethical Practice and Boundary Setting for Mental Health Professionals

Clinician’s Guide to Preparing and Administering Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics

How Much Benzodiazepine Prescribing is the Right Amount of Prescribing?

Get Expert Guidance on Questions Around Serious Mental Illness

Submit any questions you have on serious mental illness. Receive a response within one business day from one of our national experts.

Are safety plans effective for individuals who have SMI?
Are antidepressants safe for individuals who have bipolar disorder?
What is Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) for people with severe mental illness?

Trending Topics

Use our Knowledge Base to find evidence-based answers and resources on serious mental illness. Here are some new and popular topics — all vetted by our Clinical Expert Team.

Culturally Competent Care for Black American Adults with Serious Mental Illness: Addressing Barriers and Enhancing Clinical Practice

This guide helps you enhance your practice and provide…

10 Tips to Use a Recovery Perspective in Your Practice

When you use a recovery perspective, it transforms how…

Can a primary care provider or family practitioner prescribe psychotropic medications?

In many cases, yes. Primary care doctors prescribe the majority…

Psychopharmacology

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Crisis and Risk Management

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Diagnosis and First Episode

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Psychosocial Interventions

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Person-centered Care

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Voices of the Population with SMI

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Co-occurring Substance Use Disorders

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