Psychiatric Disabilities: The Role of the Rehabilitation Counselor A rehabilitation counselor is the central coordinator of setting up services and the client’s goals. They help develop and enhance the client’s skills to secure independence, employment and function in the community (Garske, 2003). In order to be able to rehabilitate the client and set up obtainable goals and a treatment plan, the rehabilitation counselor must first understand ADA, the client’s functional limitations, challenges and obstacles they are facing, along with barriers that may pose a threat to the success of the client. Rehabilitation counselors also set up a support network the client can reach out to and utilize, as well as resources and accommodations that may help the client transition into the workforce, school or home. Challenges/Functional Limitations Success Rate There are many challenges and obstacles that individuals with a psychiatric disability face and as a rehabilitation counselor one must find ways to overcome those obstacles and help guide the client. According to Gregory Garske (2003), “those with severe mental illness or a psychiatric disability have an extremely low success rate and are the most challenging group to rehabilitate” (p. 95). One of the largest subpopulations of disabilities with the lowest success rate did not go unnoticed and changes were made in 1992 when the amendments of the Rehabilitation Act were passed. The 1992 amendments paved the way for future growth and ensured that those with the most severe disability that limited one or more life functions received more assistance (Garske, 2003). What is disturbing is that even though those with a psychiatric disability are seeking services the success ... ... middle of paper ... ...on job acquisition and retention among people with psychiatric disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 33(3), 203-207. doi:10.3233/JVR-2010-0528. Schutt, R., & Hursh, N. (2009). Influences on Job Retention Among Homeless Persons with Substance Abuse or Psychiatric Disabilities. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 36(4), 53-73. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Sullivan, A., Nicolellis, D., & et al., (1993). Choose-get-keep: A psychiatric rehabilitation approach to supported education. Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal, 17(1), 55. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database. Walsh, J., & Walsh, M. (2003). The role of mental health professionals in responding to employment needs. Sourcebook of rehabilitation and mental health practice (pp. 105-115). New York, NY US: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. Retrieved from PsycINFO database.
Boughton, Barbara. "Substance Abuse Rife Among Homeless With Mental Illness." Medscape Medical News. Medscape, 04 Nov. 2011. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.
Health and Human Service Professionals can work in a variety of work settings. They can work with children, adults, elderly, or work with people who have substance abuse issues. I recently discovered that Human services fall under two different careers. Human service professionals can focus on either career they prefer. Social Services is one; this career focuses on improving the quality of life for clients. This is a career that emphases on helping others. The second focus is a Mental Health Specialist focus. Mental Health Specialist work directly with people who are trying to change their behavior or achieve a better mental health outlook. Those who are interested in working as a mental health counselor must obtain
Chemical dependency counseling involves direct interactions with the clients and as such standards need to be set which will promote safe and accountable counseling. Chemical dependency counseling has a set code of ethics, guidelines and regulations that seek to safeguard the interests of everybody involved. Laws and ethics ensure that everyone acts in a way that does not cause harm to others. Laws and ethics also help to give the profession its credibility. The Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia (2014) gives provisions on the conduct of counselors as stipulated by the law. Chapter 135-7-01 provides the various responsibilities of counselors to their clients. Every counselor has a responsibility to their clients. It is their primary duty to promote the welfare of their clients and meet the client’s best interests.
A. Thomas McLellan, et al, "Individual characteristics of the literally homeless, marginally housed, and impoverished in a US substance abuse treatment-seeking sample." Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology 43, no. 10 (October 2008): 839-840, EBSCO Academic Search Premier (accessed April 4, 2012).
Until the middle of the last century, public mental health in the United States had been the responsibility, for the most part, of individual states, who chose to deal with their most profoundly mentally-ill by housing them safely and with almost total asylum in large state mental hospitals. Free of the stresses we all face in our lives, the mentally-ill faced much better prospects for peaceful lives and even recovery than they would in their conditions in ordinary society. In the hospitals, doctors were always accessible for help, patients were assured food and care, and they could be monitored to insure they never became a danger to themselves or others. Our nation’s state hospital system was a stable, efficient way to help improve the lives of our mentally disabled.
... Gilles, P., Lesage, A., & Goldner, E. (2011). Job acquisition for people with severe mental illness enrolled in supported employment programs: A theoretically grounded empirical study. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 21(3), 342-354.
Mental healthcare has a long and murky past in the United States. In the early 1900s, patients could live in institutions for many years. The treatments and conditions were, at times, inhumane. Legislation in the 1980s and 1990s created programs to protect this vulnerable population from abuse and discrimination. In the last 20 years, mental health advocacy groups and legislators have made gains in bringing attention to the disparity between physical and mental health programs. However, diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses continues to be less than optimal. Mental health disparities continue to exist in all areas of the world.
On October 31, 1963, President Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Act into law with the aim to change the delivery method of mental health care (National Council for Behavioral Health, 2013). The primary aim was to release the mentally ill from institutions and allow them to successfully integrate into functional members of society. In an effort to achieve this goal, delivery of care would be a coordination of effort from a network of outpatient clinics, community services, partial hospitalizations, and when needed emergency services. The funding for these services was to be from a combination of government, private programs and self-pay sources. However, due to the recent recession government sources reduced funds available for mental health services (Thomas). This economic reality coupled with an already fragmented health care system has left mental ill vulnerable. Patients that fall into the cracks in the system often end up in homeless shelters, jails/prisons or the morgue (Szabo, 2012).
NASMHPD. (2014, Accessed April 27). Retrieved from NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM DIRECTORS: http://www.nasmhpd.org/About/AOMultiStateDisaster.aspx
The impetus for change to improve the healthcare services provided to individuals suffering from mental illness came about because the deinstitutionalization efforts begun in the 1970s were failing to properly assist this population (McLaughlin & McLauglin, 2008). McLauglin and McLauglin (2008) explain North Carolina’s four regional mental health hospitals were acting as independent entities and not working to provide better coordinated services to its’ local community mental health centers. They reveal local community mental health centers were not receiving the resources necessary to run effective rehabilitation programs for their patients (McLaughlin & McLauglin, 2008). Similar situ...
.... This may push people out of the recovery process before they are ready and it challenges empowerment aspects and structural problems. It has also been argued that the recovery model attempts to hide the dominance of the medical model. This marginalizes those who do not fit into a recovery narrative. Professionals have said that majority of the people who a serious illness, such as schizophrenia, require both psychotropic and psychosocial interventions to help cure their symptoms during a crisis (Rosenson, 1993). Therefore, the recovery model has been criticized for its emphasis away from medicalization. In addition, it can be argued that that while the approach may be a useful for corrective measures, institutional and personal difficulties make it essential that there be sufficient ongoing effective support with stress management and coping in daily life.
There is many reason why it is difficult to find a job or keep the job for person with mental illness, According to The National Alliance on Mental Illness those are the some reason: “Frequent medical appointments, absences from work, medication side-effects, and difficulty communicating or interacting with others, trouble concentrating, problems following a particular schedule, stigma, prejudice and discrimination”
Rehabilitation Nurses are a specialized group of healthcare providers within the sphere of the medical field that focus on rehabilitation, the process of helping people physically recover from, trauma, disability or illness (The Rehabilitation Staff Nurse, n.d.). The primary purpose of a Rehabilitation Nurse revolves around creating a therapeutic environment for a patient and assisting the impaired individual reach maximum function. Generally, their role involves developing a treatment plan that encourages physical activity and helping patients adapt to a new, altered lifestyle (The Rehabilitation Staff Nurse, n.d.). Since rehab treatment relies on trust, support and motivation, the nurse-patient relationship is pivotal to reach the highest
The need for vocational rehabilitation as it pertains to individuals with disabilities is growing rapidly. It is imperative that the tools are given for success. There are many obstacles that people face when attempting to secure proper employment and housing. The type of disability plays a significant role. There are many factors that affect an individual's ability to obtain adequate employment and housing. Factors such as gender, age and socio-economic background are key. Employment and housing are the most important elements when transitioning from school to work or childhood to adulthood.
Cook et al. (2005) indicates that more than 60% of working age individuals with mental a disorder are not in the workforce. While there are cases where these individuals are severely affected by their conditions, and are unable to work, most them face a lot of challenges and disadvantages in finding a decent job. There are also people who are in the workforce, but are underemployed, which means they want to work more, but do not have the opportunity to work at their full capacity. Low expectations and achievement standards are the results of the prejudice towards people with mental a disorder (Stuart, 2006, p. 522). This in turn discourages them from participating in the workforce or progressing in their