Venting x2

*

Twice in the past few days I have called the hospital Mental Health Outpatient Clinic to get an update on my client's waitlist status. 

Twice I have been informed that the client is not even on the list!  They have no record of a referral. 

In one case this client's doctor told him he made the referral in October.  In the other, the client told me her doctor referred her last summer!  This client is brand new to me, so we're off to a busy start.

The outpatient clinic has a four month wait list.  They both should have been seen by now.  Now I am trying to help each sort out what happened.

GRRRRRR

*I do not endorse this method of stress relief.  If you are feeling upset, talk to your counsellor.  If you don't have a counsellor, call your local mental health services you might get one in a year or two.
In the meantime just try not to throw anything at anybody.

Circle of Care

Earlier this week I joined a client during a CAS (Children's Aid Services) intake interview. It took over two hours. I was the one who had called CAS in. She was aware that I was going to do so, and was more or less okay with it. She's had involvement from them before, and wants to get the help that she and her kids need.

As much as she's on board with using services and accessing supports, I still can't help but sigh when she starts signing consent forms and there are 7, 8, 9 or more of them.

There is a fine line between helping, and invading somebody's life. I fear that line fell closer to helpers number 3 or 4. Maybe 5, but definitely somewhere way before 10.

An Open Letter

Dear Dr. Dontcare: You are not my boss. You are however the boss for four office staff. So why, pray tell, is my client coming to me after his appointment with you asking that I look up the fax number for referrals to the Adult Mental Health Clinic? The referral that you are making. The referral that you already tried to pawn off on me until I pointed out that they only accept from physicians. The referral for which I already provided you with all the contact information. The referral for a clinic at a hospital where you conduct part of your practice.

I looked it up this morning. The number was listed rather plainly on the hospital website. You’re welcome. Your bill is in the mail.

Worth Reading?

We were lied to, it's true. The paperless society we were all promised sometime back in the mid-90's never came to be. Unfortunately, some people slacked off and decided that it wasn't worth developing legible handwriting since it was supposedly going to become obsolete. Not so, my friend. I only know who you are because your chicken scratch is so distinctive, and also because you refer to us frequently.

Since we are such good friends, maybe you could help me out. On the referral you sent for "Deerkani Ssghur", on "Oct 27/2u10", you indicate that the reason for referral is "To mountain mental lealth, stubilix, incrcase activation. You also note a primary diagnosis of "Dszchxtie NOS". Now, since I've known you and your handwriting for so long, I think I can make out most of what you meant, but please tell me, what are we activating? Admittely, I'm a little scared to find out.

Your cooperation is appreciated, and we look forward to working with you again in the future. Tkhks for yuur timme.

Is that sort of like a “sundial?”

Today's referral:

Mental Health Diagnosis
Primary: Sciphennia
Secondary: B. Polar

Safety Concerns
Suicidial

Family Dynamics

So last week I received a referral from one of the hospital social workers for a new client. I called the social worker, because sometimes the client is still in the hospital, and we can meet them there. It tends to really increase our chances of a successful follow up.

This client had already been discharged, but the social worker gave me some additional background and his impressions of the client (patient in his case, I guess). He tells me that this client was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia. He’s a truck driver, lives alone, his family is all in the US, but they are very supportive.
His father is a psychiatrist. His sister is a doctor. The other sister is a social worker. His brother is a development worker.

And I can’t help but wonder how the onset of a serious mental illness would play out in the family dynamics. Is it more frustrating than usual for the family to feel like they can’t help him? More importantly, how will this affect the client? Will he feel that understanding and support from his family, or perhaps like a failure and an outcast?

I know that it is not unusual for families to be challenged or seriously disrupted by something like schizophrenia. Feelings of failure and disappointment crop up on both sides of the equation.

I know that most of us have someone in our network of friends/family/acquaintances who has a mental illness. I have people close to me who live with/have survived eating disorders, alcoholism, SAD and more.

This case just struck me as particularly potent.

Dear Random Social Worker,

Thank you for referring your client to us. We would have called you back sooner, but we have only just received the referral form. We likely would have responded more quickly if you had faxed or emailed it as indicated on the top of the form. Instead, you left it sitting out on a desk in our rural office, you know, the one that is only staffed part time, and is shared with another community group? I’m sure your client’s information is safe though since you had the forethought to fold the paper in half. And I guess you couldn’t have known that our staff who works in that office was on vacation for two weeks, so again, our apologies.

Now, I realize that you must be a very busy woman (aren’t we all!) but if it’s not too much trouble, maybe you could take the extra couple of seconds to write in your complete phone number? A bit of information about the client would be helpful too – maybe more than “needs support – monthly visits”.

Oh, and by the way – Primary diagnosis: schizophrenia/bipolar. Well, which is it? I guess the client may have both (poor thing) but then I’m guessing one of those is the secondary diagnosis, and it’s just a little hard to tell which considering how you’ve squished it all into the one little box there.

Well, I hear from your outgoing message that you are out of the office for the next three days (how nice for you!) so I guess I’ll call you back next week.

Ta-ta for now!