Why EIVSOM works for adults with NMCs?

How Emotional Intelligence and Value Systems Make EIVSOM Effective for Non-Normative Mental Conditions

EIVSOM works because it was developed where theory meets reality. As Dr. Robert Graves explains, “I was asked the other day why EIVSOM works,” a question that takes us back to his doctoral research with adolescents involved in the juvenile detention system. These were young people excluded from mainstream education, many living with what Dr. Graves describes as non-normative mental conditions (NMCs). The research focused on decision-making, behavior, and learning—testing multiple interventions in search of something that genuinely helped people make better choices. “It was only when we started to use the emotional intelligence and value systems observation and monitoring grid that things began to change,” he notes. That framework later became the foundation of EIVSOM.

At the heart of EIVSOM is a practical intersection of emotional intelligence and value systems—a combination that feels intuitive to participants and easy to apply in everyday life. “There was an innate rightness and wrongness in them,” says Dr. Graves, describing what he observed across diverse groups. EIVSOM doesn’t label or pathologize behavior; instead, it offers a clear structure for understanding why certain decisions feel unstable, uncomfortable, or misaligned. This clarity is precisely what makes the EIVSOM learning system effective across settings—from education and training to psychosocial support programs.

When EIVSOM was introduced to adults with diagnosed mental disorders and neurodivergent conditions, the response was immediate and familiar. “I saw that same realization when I talked about EIVSOM to them,” Dr. Graves explains. In a complex and often contradictory social environment, EIVSOM helps individuals make sense of behavior, values, and emotional responses in a grounded way. “That’s why I believe it’s well suited,” he concludes, “for adults with non-normative mental conditions as much as it is for young people.” For organizations, practitioners, and communities looking for a structured, evidence-informed psychosocial learning model, EIVSOM offers not just insight—but a system that can be taught, applied, and scaled.