The Independent Living Skills Survey: A comprehensive measure of the community functioning of severely and persistently mentally ill individuals

The research reported in this article investigated the psychometric charact eristics of the Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS), a comprehensive, o bjective, performance-focused, easy-to-administer measure of the basic func tional living skills of individuals with severe and persistent mental illne ss (SPMI), Two versions were developed, one for informants and one for self -report. Data from three research projects were analyzed to determine the v ersions' internal consistency, stability, interrater reliability, sensitivi ty to the effects of skills training, and concurrent and predictive validit y. The results indicated that the two versions have acceptable psychometric characteristics, and suggestions are offered for their use in planning ind ividualized treatment, evaluating programmatic services, and determining el igibility for benefits.