Emergency!
Where did all the office snacks go?!? They were here on Friday when I left, but now they seem to have disappeared…
I need something to get me though all these assessments.
Monday, July 26, 2010
I think there are some anxiety issues we should talk about...
No, just because you leave me SIX messages before the office is even open does not mean that I will meet with you four hours ahead of schedule. You can pace around the waiting area all you like.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Couldn't resist another one...
“No ma’am, I don’t think they could fumigate the hospital and take your husbands clothes but leave him in the room.”
-co-worker on the phone with a woman whose husband apparently “took a bunch of pills” and somehow ended up in a psych hospital at the other end of the province. He called his wife complaining that “men in white coats”* removed all his belongings but left him in the room while they sprayed some sort of noxious gas, and she in turn was looking to us for help. She also wanted to know what “rights” she had if the doctor said he would call her with an update at 3:00 and it was 3:01.
Wish I could have heard the whole conversation!
*apparently not just a terrible stereotype anymore!
-co-worker on the phone with a woman whose husband apparently “took a bunch of pills” and somehow ended up in a psych hospital at the other end of the province. He called his wife complaining that “men in white coats”* removed all his belongings but left him in the room while they sprayed some sort of noxious gas, and she in turn was looking to us for help. She also wanted to know what “rights” she had if the doctor said he would call her with an update at 3:00 and it was 3:01.
Wish I could have heard the whole conversation!
*apparently not just a terrible stereotype anymore!
Thanks, Doc
Note in hospital records that my desk-mate was reading today:
“...this woman did not appear to be very bright”
...
Seriously? Is this considered a “professional” or “medical” opinion?
I’m going to start a training program entitled “Appropriate Note Writing forDummies Psychiatrists.
P.S. thanks to a couple new "followers" for tagging along! Hi!
“...this woman did not appear to be very bright”
...
Seriously? Is this considered a “professional” or “medical” opinion?
I’m going to start a training program entitled “Appropriate Note Writing for
P.S. thanks to a couple new "followers" for tagging along! Hi!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Whole Story
Ontario is having municipal elections this year. I read this article this morning about one of the leading candidates in Toronto, Rob Ford. While I’m not sure who I’m going cast my vote for yet, I can’t say I’m a big fan of Ford. His general platform seems to be of the ‘cut taxes, cut services’ variety, and to be frank, he seems like a real blowhard. Not exactly my style.
I bring this up because I think the article does a good job highlighting some of the challenges that come up time and again when trying to fund social programs. We know (or most people in social services know anyway) that things like poverty, addiction and homelessness are difficult issues to address. Positive change will only come from systemic changes in supports, programs, and people’s attitudes.
It may be very easy for Ford to rail against thousands of dollars being spent on cigarettes and “to give free wine to homeless people” but it is short sighted, and it definitely doesn’t tell the whole story. He gives a line similar to what we hear from those who oppose things like harm reduction, safe injection sites and the special diet allowance (an issue which Ford has also had his say on, and really made a mess)
I’m reminded of many stories, but one in particular of a woman I helped support when I was working on a homeless outreach program. She had been chronically homeless, had schizophrenia, diabetes, and crack addiction. Naturally, she had a long back story that I won’t go into here. After she stabilized somewhat during a lengthy shelter stay, we were able to find her suitable housing. The trick was making sure she got her injection of medication every two weeks so she stayed well enough to maintain that housing. The only way our nurse could guarantee to see her every two weeks was to bring her a coffee and a pack of cigarettes. Now surely this was cheaper than paying for her to be in a shelter, hospital, or detox clinic all the time? Surely this helped her to live a better quality of life!
I really wish some people would take the time to look at the whole picture.
I bring this up because I think the article does a good job highlighting some of the challenges that come up time and again when trying to fund social programs. We know (or most people in social services know anyway) that things like poverty, addiction and homelessness are difficult issues to address. Positive change will only come from systemic changes in supports, programs, and people’s attitudes.
It may be very easy for Ford to rail against thousands of dollars being spent on cigarettes and “to give free wine to homeless people” but it is short sighted, and it definitely doesn’t tell the whole story. He gives a line similar to what we hear from those who oppose things like harm reduction, safe injection sites and the special diet allowance (an issue which Ford has also had his say on, and really made a mess)
I’m reminded of many stories, but one in particular of a woman I helped support when I was working on a homeless outreach program. She had been chronically homeless, had schizophrenia, diabetes, and crack addiction. Naturally, she had a long back story that I won’t go into here. After she stabilized somewhat during a lengthy shelter stay, we were able to find her suitable housing. The trick was making sure she got her injection of medication every two weeks so she stayed well enough to maintain that housing. The only way our nurse could guarantee to see her every two weeks was to bring her a coffee and a pack of cigarettes. Now surely this was cheaper than paying for her to be in a shelter, hospital, or detox clinic all the time? Surely this helped her to live a better quality of life!
I really wish some people would take the time to look at the whole picture.
Monday, July 19, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
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