A project was undertaken to develop a realistic survival skills curriculum in language arts for adult basic education (ABE) students that could be used with predischarge residents in institutions for mentally ill individuals in Pennsylvania. After identifying 28 predischarge residents at the Harrisburg State Hospital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, researchers developed five community resources skills units for the students to master and use upon release into the community. This curriculum involved the use of a flipchart, booklets, and flashcards and addressed the following skills: understanding survival signs, reading a newspaper, taking a bus, shopping, and using a telphone. The Curriculum and Teacher Guide document contains checklists, suggestions for further reading, a recommended instructional method, a series of matching games, a preliminary test, a posttest, and an evaluation sheet. The preliminary test and posttest results attested to the effectiveness of this training in helping the students become more productive and responsible citizens upon their release into the community. Based on the reports of counselors into whose care the students were discharged, the project was deemed a success and recommendations were made calling for dissemination of the project materials throughout Pennsylvania. (MN)