09/18/13

1) Recovery: A Community Forum and Panel Discussion

I attended a panel put on by UnityPoint Health Des Moines Behavioral and Powell
Chemical Dependency Center Services with Drake University on September 5
th
at Drake
University in the Sussman Theater. The presentation and discussion lasted for a little over an
hour.
The members on the panel were David Mee-Lee, M.D., a board-certified psychiatrist and
mental health and co-occurring recovery expert; State Senator Jack Hatch; Barb Blass from
NAMI Greater Des Moines; Jeffery Kramer, associate director of Eyerly Ball community mental
health center; Sara Lockner, psychiatric ARNP Powell Chemical Dependency Center; and Kevin
Dalin, Drake rehab student who brought the consumer perspective.
I really enjoyed attending this panel and discussion and found that I learned a lot. I did
have knowledge that mental health and substance abuse can be intertwined and need to be looked
at from a co-occurring perspective. Each member of the panel made points that I can see myself
embracing and using when I become a counselor.
Senator Jack Hatch said that mental health is an invisible illness. I found this to be very
interesting because there are definitely times that someone is dealing with a mental illness, but
the people around them may not be aware of it because they do not show any physical
symptoms. He also discussed the idea of the Integrated Health Homes and how mental and
physical health are being brought together. I also found this to be extremely important because I
believe that treating a person holistically will be the best way to get them healthy and keep them
that way.
Dr. David Mee-Lee described recovery as a process, not an event. I think that when it
comes to substance abuse especially, people expect someone to get clean and then that is the end
of it. I have learned that it is not that easy and people are constantly dealing with recovery. It can
be the same way for people dealing with mental health issues as well. He also said that mental
health and substance abuse treatment look very different right now. I had never looked at it that
way, but I can 100% see that is the case. People who have mental health problems are treated in
centers and agencies, while people with substance abuse problems are often locked up. Finally,
Dr. Mee-Lee discussed the importance of language. He talked about how people first language is
important. Rather than referring to a client as schizophrenia it is better to refer to them as a
person suffering from schizophrenia. I can see how this separates the person from the disease
rather than making the disease the only piece of their identity. Going along with the idea of
language, he talked about the terminology issues in substance abuse and recovery. How talking
about someone as having a dirty or clean UA can make the person feel as if that language is
also describing them. I hope to be mindful of the language I use when dealing with clients to
help give them hope and an identity apart from their struggles.
Kevin talked about how people can get caught up in their label and that this reduces
them. This speaks to Dr. Mee-Lees thoughts about language. Kevin then talked about how the
process of recovery is painful and not a straight line. This is important for mental health
practitioners to remember so they do not get frustrated with clients or give up on them when they
are not changing right away or have slip-ups.
Sara Lockner said that the relationship between mental health and substance abuse is
profound and they should be dealt with together. I can see that substance abuse and mental health
can occur at the same time with clients and need to be addressed together rather than separately
for the best results. Finally, she said, recovery is rooted in hope, respect, and individual
control. I really like this idea want to help my clients be hopeful about the future, feel respected
by me and for them to respect themselves, and for them to be in control of their lives and
choices.
Overall, I learned a lot from this panel and will remember many pieces of it when I am a
therapist in the future.
09/25/13
2) Change Agent Team Meeting
I work at Orchard Place and on a monthly basis a group of employees from each of the
four branches gets together to discuss any agency-wide problems or ways to improve the services
we are providing. The meeting is open to anyone who wants to attend, but I had never gone
before. For the purposes of Advanced Practicum, I decided to attend to see what it was all about.
The meeting lasted for approximately two hours. In attendance were the Vice Presidents of Care
Coordination Services and Orchard Place Campus, the associate vice president of Child
Guidance Center, therapists, functional family therapists, BHIS caseworkers, Substance Abuse
Case Managers, Admissions people from Orchard Place Campus and Care Coordinators.
At the meeting we talked about Care Coordination Services, which is the newest Orchard
Place branch that has only existed for three months. We also talked about how we use a trauma
informed perspective in our job on a daily basis. It was amazing to me to see how much
collaboration is done in a meeting setting. The therapists had the opportunity to ask questions
about what other branches are doing things and how they can help out. This was particularly
important because with Care Coordination being a new branch, the therapists help and is
extremely important in getting everything up and running. The therapists were also open to
answering questions about how it is best to communicate with them to make things a little easier.
It was extremely helpful for me to see how collaboration can happen through different
venues. There is one-on-one collaboration that could be about a particular case that two people
are working together on. As I saw in this meeting, collaboration can also happen within an
organization by getting different people together to discuss what is going on and how things can
be made better and easier. I know that collaboration is very important in this field and through it
relationships can be made that will useful in serving clients more efficiently.
I want to use collaboration regularly when I am a therapist. I want to talk with others
about cases we are working together one to ensure that we are working towards the same goals
and best serving the client. I also want to collaborate with other members of my organization and
the community to serve the targeted population as best we can.
09/27/13
3) Bridges Out of Poverty Training
I attended a training called Bridges Out of Poverty. It lasted from 9am to 3pm and was
presented by the University of Iowa. I found the training to be extremely interesting and also
very useful for my future career.
At the training we spent time learning about how it is hard to get out of poverty, hidden
rules of the different classes, differing communication styles, and what resources exist outside
financial ones. We also had time to do different activities to better understand poverty.
In learning about poverty we talked about the differences between situational and
generational poverty. Going along with that we did an activity where we identified how the
different classes view the police, social workers, institutions, etc. We also identified what types
of that stores and resources are in impoverished communities (eg. rent-to-own, convenience
stores, liquor stores) versus affluent ones (eg. whole foods, pier one). Since attending the training
Ive found myself surveying neighborhoods in the Des Moines area and it has surprised me how
accurate this is.
We looked at the hidden rules of poverty, middle class, and wealth. These are important
to know because many institutions and employers operate using middle class rules. Because of
this it is important to make sure people are able to operate using those rules so they can be
successful. I will be able to use this in my current line of work and in the future to help families
learn the skills to help them keep jobs and get along with institutions in the community.
In talking about communication styles we discussed formal versus casual registers. In the
formal register, used by middle and upper classes, people go from point A to point B. In the
casual register, used in poverty, there are many more tangents taken. To get from point A to B it
can take much longer and there will be side-stories. I have found this information useful as I now
understand why my families share and talk so much in our meetings.
It was helpful for me to look at what resources exist outside financial ones. I hadnt
thought about how there are spiritual, emotional, mental, physical, and relational resources as
well. These resources can help support people and give them hope that things can change.
Overall, I found the training to be very useful. I feel that I have a better understanding
now of how my clients think and how to better serve them. I will do my best to implement what
Ive learned as I continue in my career.
4) Interview with Alicia Mahlstadt Alum/CADC
I had the opportunity to interview Alicia Mahlstadt, an alumni of the Drake program, on
October 1
st
. Our interview lasted from 5 to about 7pm, but we spent some of the time catching up
since we have not spoken in awhile. It was so nice to be able to talk to someone who once
walked in my shoes and to hear her perspective as she is now working in the field.
I learned so much during this interview. Even though Alicia is not currently working as a
therapist, she still loves what she does and uses the skills she learned. This helped me to realize
that I do not have to be in a rush, I can take my time and take a little break before changing jobs.
Alicia also has a unique perspective as she currently works in a community where there is not an
abundance of resources. In talking to her I realized how important it is to be knowledgeable
about the resources that are available and how to easily access them. Alicia said something that I
really like and it was related to having difficult conversations with people. She said, Try to
validate their feelings while staying firm on your position. I liked this because it is important to
remember that your clients are entitled to their own feelings and opinions, and you should
respect that, but you should not change what you are saying to cater to them. She encouraged me
to continue to build confidence as I am working through the program and when I am done. That
will help me to become the best counselor I can be. I like that Alicia is working in substance
abuse currently, because it means that she is likely seeing some co-morbidity. It will make her a
stronger counselor in the future because she will have had experience in that area.
Overall, I thought that talking to someone who is an alumni of the program was
extremely beneficial. It made me feel more relaxed about finishing the program and moving onto
the next stage of my career. Alicia offered some great advice and insight and made me glad to be
where I am, doing what I am doing. I just cannot wait to graduate and see where I will be after
that.
5) Interview with Nansi Woods LMHC-tl
I had the opportunity to interview Nansi Woods on September 26
th
. Our interview lasted
for an hour. We were not able to get through all of the questions, but she was still very helpful
with what we did get through.
Nansi is currently the school-based therapist at Moulton Extended Learning Center
through Orchard Place. The reason I wanted to interview her is because I know she has taken a
similar career path as me (staring in residential work, then working for Systems of Care and now
doing therapy). There were several things Nansi said during our interview that caught my
attention. The first was, remember that you are not the expert on other peoples children. I
found this so interesting because I can imagine that families would not appreciate having a
stranger act as though they are an expert on their children. I do think the therapist can offer
suggestions and try to help out, but if they approach is different I am sure it goes a long way. I
also like how Nansi talked about inviting parents to participate in sessions with their children.
This would be a good way to get the parents involved and to show the child that they are
supportive of them. Finally, Nansi said that her approach to having difficult conversations with
clients of their family members is so never, ever let them see you upset and always remain
calm. I like this because if you are in control and calm, it is modeling that for the client/their
family. As soon as you start to get escalated, they will likely do the same and that could go and
go until it gets out of control.
Overall, I really thought Nansi had a good perspective as she has just recently started
counseling and she has gotten there through the same channels I am working through. I really
enjoy working with Nansi on the cases we share and I know that I will have many more
opportunities to learn from her in the future.
6) Interview with Kristin Rodenberg LMSW
I had the opportunity to interview Kristin Rodenberg on October 3
rd
. Our interview was a
little over an hour long. It was interesting to get the perspective of someone who went the
LMSW route rather than the LMHC route.
Kristin is currently the school-based therapist at Edmunds Elementary School. I wanted
to interview her because we went to undergrad together and now work together on several cases.
Kristin said several things that stuck out to me. She said that she would want to work with
someone who balances her out and is good at the things she is not, but also has the same thought
process and idea of how therapy should go. It makes sense to me that you would want to work
with someone who agrees with your mindset about therapy, but also someone who is able to
balance you out. That way you can learn from each other and hopefully avoid stepping on each
others toes. Kristin also said that when using evidence-based practices, she makes sure it is
something that makes sense for her clients. She said that its important to have lots of eggs in
your basket because you never know which technique is going to work for which client. I think
this is important because chances are you will work with a variety of people and you want to be
able to serve each of them as best as possible. Finally, Kristin said the skills she has found most
helpful is being optimistic. She said the field can be challenging due to hours, pay, and the
population we work with, but that staying positive helps greatly.
I was happy to be able to spend time with Kristin talking about what she does. I look
forward to being able to work with her on cases so that I can continue to ask questions and learn
from her experiences.
7) Observing Psychotherapy Group
I observed an psychotherapy group for teenage girls at House of Mercy on October 9
th
.
The group lasted from 4 to 4:50pm and was facilitated by the Lead Resident Counselor, Kacie
Jensen. It was very interesting for me to observe this group because I used to be the Lead
Resident Counselor and I used to lead this group myself. All of the clients are new since I have
left House of Mercy and I think it was good to observe the group. It gave me a different
perspective on things.
The first thing they did was check in sharing their current feelings. During this time
several of the girls were having side conversations, one was doing her homework and one was
distracted playing with her baby. I had a hard time just sitting there watching it go like that and I
wish Kaci would have redirected them sooner. She did prompt them to pay attention when she
started going through the curriculum with them. I also found myself wishing that Kacie had done
some sort of icebreaker activity to get all of the girls involved and interacting with one another
before group started. The intervention of the group was about feelings. Each girl was given a
piece of paper and a writing utensil. Kacie then read three positive feelings (interested, excited,
and surprised and three negative feelings (fear, anger, and humiliation) one at a time. For
each word the girls came up with some synonyms and antonyms and then wrote three things that
make them feel that way. To close the group, they did the word proud. For that word the girls
were encouraged to list as many things as they could.
It seemed as though the girls enjoyed the group as they were able to apply the different
feelings to their own thoughts and experiences. They also seemed to like sharing the things that
make them proud and the things they hope to accomplish in the future to make them proud.
Overall, it was good to see someone elses style when leading a group. At first I found
myself criticizing and thinking things like I would not do it that way or Why is she doing
that? After I was able to put that aside and just take everything in I was able to get more from it.
I realized that there is not only one way to do things.
8) PACE Tour
I had the opportunity to tour PACE Juvenile Center. I used to work at PACE, but while I
was there, our team was located away from the main building. I had an idea of all of the
programs PACE had, but I never really took the time to learn about them all. Since Ive moved to
a new position, this was a good chance for me to learn about the programs since I may be
referring clients there in the future.
During the tour I was told about each of the programs PACE has (Substance Abuse, Day
Program, Walnut Creek, Behavioral Health Intervention Services, Juvenile Court Liaisons, Early
Services Project, Court Based Intervention, and Sanctions). I went into more detail about each of
these programs in my presentation, which is attached to this entry. All of these programs have so
much to offer to the community. I believe that in my current position, and if I become a therapist
in the Des Moines area, I will refer clients to these different programs as it is appropriate. If the
client can have as many supports as possible in place (ie. Therapy + BHIS), it will help them to
be successful.
I always knew that Orchard Place had a lot of beneficial programs, but hearing more
about each of the ones at PACE (one of four branches of Orchard Place) helped me to be even
more proud of what I do and how I can help children in the community.
9) Professional Staffing
I attended a professional staffing at Child Guidance Center. This was an opportunity to
get all of the professionals who are working on the same case in the same room so they could
talk about the best way to move forward. In attendance were: the therapist, the behavioral health
intervention services caseworker, the department of human services worker, the guardian ad
litem, and the care coordinator (from the integrated health home). The Family Safety, Risk and
Permanency worker had also written a long e-mail with her perspective since she could not be
there. The meeting lasted approximately one hour, but seemed as though it could have gone
much longer if members did not have other places to be.
I thought this was the perfect opportunity for collaboration. All of the people in the room
were there for the benefit of the family. The case was very complicated and the professionals
were there to come up with possible solutions and ways to move forward that would be best for
everyone involved. It was encouraging for me to see everyone communicating their thoughts and
ideas openly. It also sounds like they communicate via e-mail as well when they need to.
Overall, I enjoyed the opportunity to see how these professionals took time out of their
day to get together in an attempt to best serve this family. I hope that when I am a therapist, I
will do the same. It is so important for everyone who is working with a child/family to
communicate and collaborate in order to get the best results possible.
10) Review Call Magellan for PMIC
I attended a review phone call with Magellan at Orchard Place Campus on October 31
st
.
The phone call lasted for approximately an hour and a half. The purpose of the call was that a
resident at Orchard Place was supposed to be discharged in early September, but the date kept
being pushed back because she was struggling significantly to transition to her home school.
Present for the meeting were: the girls mom, the Campus therapist, the Targeted Case Manager
from DHS, an intensive case manager from Magellan and a help desk person (Im not sure where
theyre from). The purpose of the call was to come up with a plan for how to help get the client
transitioned home since shes been in PMIC for such an extended period of time.
This was a great chance for collaboration. The therapist, mom, and targeted case manager
were able to share what they thought would be best and brainstorm ideas that could help move
the process along. They talked about passes, alternative school ideas, BHIS services and in-home
individual and family therapies. There will be a home-based therapist seeing the client once she
moves home, so the Campus therapist took notes to share with them so they could all be on the
same page. It was refreshing to see so many people working toward the common goal of moving
this girl to a least restrictive environment.
I hope to have open communication like this when working with my clients in the future.
I think it is the best for the client to have a team that is behind them, working together for their,
and their familys, best interest.
11) Arlington House in St. Paul
On October 14
th
, I was able to tour my sisters workplace, Arlington House in St. Paul. It
is an emergency shelter in Ramsey County for kids 11 to 17 years old. It is separated into houses,
one for males and one for females. There are beds for 10 kids in each house.
One of the most interesting things I found out while there is that almost everything is
destructible. The curtains are hung up using Velcro and the chairs are unbreakable. This is
because the population they serve can be aggressive and destructive. If they end up trying to
destroy property, it can be easily repaired.
The number of staff that work at Arlington House is not very large so it is very easy for
them to communicate and collaborate. It is also very important for the staff to communicate with
other people involved in the teens life. The staff are constantly communicating with families
and Juvenile Court officers for this reason. It is important that they communicate about the
childs progress and their planned length of stay.
I do not think I would like to work as a therapist in a setting like this. It is a residential
program for teens, which is something I have always wanted to do, but the length of stay is so
short. The teens are only in the shelter for up to 90 days and I hope to work in a setting where
there is more time to develop rapport with the client to assist them with making lasting change.
12) House of Mercy
On October 9
th
, when I observed a psychotherapy group at House of Mercy, I was also
given a rundown/tour of their teen floor. I used to work there, but there have been many changes
since then, so it was interesting to hear them. It houses up to 12 clients and their children. The
program used to only be only for adjudicated girls that were either pregnant or parenting. Now,
the program only requires adjudication. There are 5 full time direct care staff, several part-time
and as-needed direct care staff, a case manager, therapist and supervisor. Each week there is a 3
hours long team meeting. This gives the full time staff, therapist, case manager and supervisor a
chance to discuss announcements, expectations, schedules, and each client.
I like the idea of a residential setting because everyone is able to communicate fairly
easily. The staff have processes between shifts to catch the next shift up to speed. The case
managers office is on the unit where the clients live, so she is easy to track down and always
knows what is going on. The therapist is on a different floor, but she can be reached by phone
and can run down easily if it is necessary. The supervisor of the program has an office just
outside the unit and she is always on call. There are people outside of House of Mercy to
communicate with (families, JCOs, DHS workers, etc.), but it would be so nice to have the
current care team all there.
Eventually, I hope to be a therapist in a setting like this, and then the supervisor of a
program like this!
13) Iowa City for work
I was able to go to Iowa City for a work opportunity on December 11
th
. The meeting
lasted from 10am until 3pm. The focus of it was to get all of the Pediatric Integrated Health
providers together to discuss how things have been going. I wanted to attend because I thought it
would be a good example of how to collaborate across agencies and how to work together
toward a common good. I was very glad I went.
The director or Vice President from each of the programs got up and said a little bit about
what has been successful for them, what has been a barrier for them, and what they hope to do in
the future. It was obvious that everyone in the room was learning from the experiences of others
and hoping to hear something they would be able to use in their own program. I hope to have
relationships with other providers in my service area when I become a therapist. I know it can get
competitive, but I think it is better for everyone if the therapists work together. They can talk
about resources that are helpful for them, techniques that are working or ideas about how to best
serve the current population.
While this meeting was not specifically related to being a therapist, I think it did give me
a glimpse into how collaboration across agencies can work for the greater good of everyone
involved.
14) Interview Shelby
On November 14
th
, I interviewed my friend, Shelby Ridley, who is a case manager at
Primary Health Care. She works with homeless people in Des Moines area, most of them being
Veterans. She helps to find housing for homeless people, and once they are housed, she helps
them to become stable so they can stay there.
Shelby taught me a lot about the homeless population that I did not know before. I had a
preconceived notion about homeless people and she opened up my eyes to seeing them and their
situation in a different light. I never thought I would be willing to work with this population, but
after speaking with her it is something I would consider.
Shelby told me that she collaborates and communicates with people all the time. There is
an LISW in her office that she will consult with if she has general questions about mental illness.
She said she also speaks with her clients therapists (if they have one). Many times these
therapists are from the Des Moines Vet Center or the VA. She said it is very important to
understand PTSD and the challenges that come along with it when working with Veterans.
After realizing that the homeless population has an equal need for quality counselors, I
have decided that it is something I would be interested in doing. I even think it would be
interesting to do some therapy for homeless teens.
15) Chaos to Calm Presentation
On November 7
th
, I had the opportunity to attend a presentation at Orchard Place given
by Courtney Ackerson and Harmony Linden (therapists on Campus). The training was called
Chaos to Calm: Emotional Regulatory Healing in Residential Treatment. I was very interested in
this training because I hope to work in a residential setting someday.
I learned a lot from this presentation. One thing I learned is that stress or dysregulation
becomes trauma. Going along with that, negative behavior comes from stress. They defined
trauma as any state in which you have no control. This can be from big or little events as long
as they cause an individual stress or anxiety. They also talked about creating an environment that
encourages brain development that was interrupted by early trauma rather than only using
behavior modification techniques. I like this idea because if the child does not have the proper
brain development, they will likely never learn to cope with stressful situations or move on from
the trauma they experienced.
Finally, they offered some techniques to enhance emotional regulation. These included
daily calming activities (yoga, brain gym, meditation), daily 1:1 time with each child (caregiver
shows attention, affection and attunement), and creating a safe and calm space for each child.
These are all techniques that I hope I am able to implement one day when working as a therapist
in a residential setting.
16) Webinar PTSD
I wanted to attend a Webinar on PTSD because I have interest in trauma and how it
affects individuals as they grow and develop. The Webinar was put on by Magellan Health
Services and the presenter was Steven J. Lari, M.D.
I learned many things from this webinar, here is a list of the biggest things I took away:
- Were all exposed to trauma (little and big), even in our work day
- It can be hard to diagnose in children
- Not everyone exposed to trauma develops PTSD (10 to 14%)
o Higher in combat-exposed soldiers
- There are factors that influence vulnerability to PTSD (genetics, longer exposure to
stressor, hx of childhood abuse, high social support less risk of PTSD)
- Lots of co-morbitity with PTSD (substance abuse, nervous/sensory and digestive
problems, other physical problems, depression, suicide, disturbed immune function,
eating disorders, somatization disorders, relationship problems, increase in high-risk
behavior in proportion to degree of exposure to extreme stressors)
- Psychotherapy is used for fear extinction repeated exposure to conditioned
stimulus without the fear response
- Memory plays a large role in PTSD
o Lots of brain stuff
- Many medications used to treat
- Psychotherapy (debriefing, TR-CBT, Exposure therapy, Virtual reality therapy,
EMDR, stress inoculation, psychodynamic psychotherapies)
I guess I never realized how complex PTSD is and how much of the brain is involved in
the responses. I hope to take this knowledge and continue to learn more as I want to work with
people affected by trauma.
17) Crisis Nursery
My sister (who works at the Emergency Shelter) also works part time at a crisis nursery
in Minneapolis. I took some time to talk with her about their services. I was surprised to see how
much they offer. I expected it to be a nursery where kids stay for short periods of time during a
family crisis, but I learned that it is so much more than that.
There is a 24-hour crisis helpline that families can call. They speak to a Family Advocate
and if needed, brings their child in for an intake. If the child comes in for an intake, the Family
Advocate creates an action plan with the family to help them address their crisis. The children
can stay in the nursery for 3 nights. When the child is discharged the Family Advocate connects
the family with resources in the community. They also follow up with the family to be a
continued support. While the kids are there they can also get medical care. There are also parent
education and support group programs.
I know there is a program similar to this in Des Moines, but I have never had the
opportunity to visit or talk to anyone from there. I think this is a wonderful resource for families
who need it. I have worked with children in the past who have parents with their own mental
health struggles. It is good to know that a child has a safe place to go if their family member
needs to take sometime to care for themselves. I hope to be able to refer families I work with in
the future to places like this if it seems as though they could benefit from it.
18) Zion Lutheran Church
I did not plan on doing this as one of my activities, but on November 4
th
I was supposed
to attend a meeting at Zion Lutheran Church in Des Moines about Trauma Informed Care to
present about Orchard Places Care Coordination Services. It turned out that no one attended the
meeting, so I ended up speaking with one of the members of the church (Vicki) about what they
have to offer families in the area.
I was SO impressed at everything they offer. The church assists with transporting kids to
and from school because their parents cannot get them there due to working. There is a
community meal on Wednesday nights where they serve approximately 400 meals! Some
children get sent home with backpacks with a meal in the so that they are able to eat a healthy
meal at home over the weekend. There is a clothing closet on site. The teach English to kids on
Wednesday nights. They do street outreach for the homeless. One Monday night a quarter they
serve supper at Children and Family Urban Movement. There is a furniture ministry. Community
gardens for new immigrants and refugees. ESL classes for adults are offered two days a week
(with child care and transportation provided). The list could go on and on.
I have heard from many different people that churches can be a great resource for
families, but I guess I did not realize how much they can do. I was excited to hear about all this
church has to offer. I hope that I am lucky enough to be a therapist in an area that has community
partners like this!
19) Wraparound Meeting
On October 1
st
I was able to attend a Wraparound Meeting that was held at Cattell
Elementary. This was similar to the professional staffing that I journaled about earlier, except
that the parents were present as well. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss a client that was
transitioning out of Orchard Place PMIC and to her home school at Cattell. The people present
were those who had worked with her in PMIC and those who would be working with her once
she was out. There was: her PMIC therapist (who brought information from unit staff and the
PMIC psychiatrist), her school-based therapist, her teacher, her resource room teacher, her BHIS
worker, a case manager from the Integrated Health Home program, her mom, her step-dad and
the principal.
I found this meeting to be very beneficial to attend as it gave me a good glimpse into how
a successful transition should look. This girl had all of her supports in one room to talk about
what was working at PMIC and to brain-storm things to try in her public school setting and at
home. I was very interested to see how many people took time out of their busy schedules to sit
down for an hour and a half to make this transition smooth.
I have seen in the past that a client leaves a placement without much communication or a
plan, and that only seems to set them up for failure. I hope that when I am a therapist I am
always looking out for my clients best interests and giving them a leg up through times of
transition.
20) Freedom for Youth
I spoke with Hayley Patton, a former intern at Freedom for Youth Ministries. I wanted to
talk with her about what services are offered there and what her experience was like while
interning there.
Hayley told me that there are after school programs for elementary, middle, and high
school aged kids where they can work on some school work, eat a meal and have a Bible lesson.
There are also opportunities for them to go on trips and do different activities. There are two
transitional living houses as well. Freedom For Youth also teaches job skills through their
Freedom Blend Coffee business and Employment Training Center.
Hayley reported that she loved her internship because she got to spend time with great
kids and was able to show them Gods love at the same. I think it would be nice to work at a
place where my faith can be openly shared as part of my job.