Post University Mental Health Services Discussion

Dear Professor and Classmates,

All the courses that I have taken thus far have prepared me for my practicum and the current internship hours that I am completing with Sheppard Pratt Mental Health Services.

The course that I feel has assisted the most is the theories course. The reason I say this is that as I continue with direct services with clients, I find myself going back to the literature that really taught me different therapeutic approaches. Honestly, I can’t think of a course that I would have liked to take that was not available. The one course that might have been a little more help could have been a course that was correlated to counseling but specifically to school-aged children (k-5) as well as a course that deals specifically with trauma. My current job as a parent liaison is significantly aligned with working with public school students and in particular younger children that have dealt with trauma in their past.

During and after a traumatic event, trauma counseling can help identify and cope with feelings and emotions. Individuals will experience different emotions. Trauma may be caused by single incidents such as rape, a car accident, witnessing a robbery, or being involved in a natural disaster.

According to the Journal of Trauma & Treatment (2021), the term trauma can also refer to repeated and enduring emotional distress over a long period of time, such as childhood neglect. Through the use of specialized techniques, the Trauma Counselor identifies and addresses the emotions that have been internalized as a result of the trauma. A course that is specifically related to trauma in children would have been wonderful, as I believe that could assist me professionally.

Reference:

Buskila, D. (2021) Journal of Trauma & Treatment.Vol. 2 pgs. 12-15. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from: https://www.hilarispublisher.com/open-access/an-opinion-on-pain-control-in-trauma.pd

Hello Professor and Class,

The course material that is assisting me during my internship is Theories of Alcohol and Drug Counseling. I have learned from this material to account for why people use alcohol and other drugs, and especially why they continue or relapse despite negative consequences. Some theories suggest genetic and other biological factors, while others emphasize personality factors or social-environmental factors. . While these factors have all been shown to contribute to persistent substance use and to relapse following periods of abstinence, no one set of factors can account for all types of substance use. Rather, substance use appears to result from complex interactions of biological, psychological and social-environmental structures and processes. This student has learned from this program and in her internship that various techniques for treating or managing alcohol and other drug dependent persons is helping client identify high-risk situations and develop strategies to deal with them: Assessments using inventories of risk situations, behavioral rehearsal, covert modelling, assertiveness training, coping imagery, reframing reactions to relapse, meditation and relaxation and exercise. Helping clients understand relapse as a process and as an event: Methods to help clients identify factors that contribute to relapse (e.g., functional analysis or instruments such as the Inventory of Drug Taking Situations [IDTS], which help clients identify high risk situations for relapse). Helping client understand and deal with substance cues and cravings: Monitor cravings, Behavioral interventions such as avoiding, leaving or changing situations that trigger or worsen cravings; and redirecting activities or getting involved in pleasant activities, helping clients understand and deal with social pressure to use substances: Identify highrisk relationships. Assess effects of thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Plan and practice alternative coping skills using role playing, evaluate results and modify the coping strategy if required (Tambawal et al., 2011).

The particular course material has helped me to facilitate client develop ways of coping with negative emotional states: Various methods depending on the sources, manifestations and consequences of client’s emotional state may include: treatment for mental health problems, anger management and leisure planning (for boredom). Counselling on attitudes and beliefs. To assess client for psychiatric disorders and facilitate treatment: Monitor target moods, participate in pleasant activities, develop routines and structures for daily living, and identify signs of relapse. Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy. Help client learn to cope with cognitive distortions stinking thinking) utilizing worksheets to list faulty beliefs such as awful zing, over-generalizing, selective, abstraction and jumping to conclusions. Help show what is wrong with these beliefs and help develop new beliefs (Tambawal et al., 2011). This course material has provided me and I have learnt that Social Cognitive Theory, The theory essentially purpose triadic reciprocity between behavior, personal factors and environment. Bandura (2004) has identified the primary constructs or determinants of this theory. These are knowledge of health risks and benefits of healthy practices, self-efficacy or behavior specific confidence in one’s ability to influence one’s habits, outcome expectations about expected costs and benefits for different health habits, that a person sets for himself or herself, perceived facilitators and impediments or obstacles. Knowledge is the prerequisite for any behavior change and self-efficacy is a fundamental requirement for behavior change. Outcome expectations are of three kinds that pertain to physical outcomes, social outcomes of approval and disapproval, and positive and negative self-evaluative reactions. Perceived facilitators and impediments pertain to personal/situational factors and to those of the health system. Social Cognitive Theory has been applied in alcohol and drug education literature (Sharma, 2005).

I would like to have offered a medication management course as working in Alcohol and Drug use, this course could have helped me to facilitate pharmacological interventions as an adjunct to psychosocial treatment (Tambawal et al., 2011).

References :

Sharma M. (2005). Enhancing the effectiveness of alcohol and drug education programs through social cognitive theory. Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education, 49(3), 3–7.

Tambawal , M., & Tsagem, S. Y. (2011). Emerging Factors of Alcohol and Substance Abuse: Implications for Counseling. https://doi.org/https://www.sokedureview.org/index…

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RE: Academic Connection