Please respond to the following discussion posts.
Research in Health and Human Services.
- What impacted YOU about this posting? How how might you use this information, personally and/or professionally?
Posted by Amanda C.
URL LINK: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236059/
Title: Veterans at Risk: The Health Effects of Mustard gas and Lewisite
Dates it took place: 1822 to 1940
The United States during the World War I and following the postwar period developed Lewisite and Nitrogen mustard. The investigation followed protocols of long-term health outcomes to the exposure of these agents. The sulfur mustard is a chemical warfare agent that causes blisters on the skin (Adler & Alexander, 1993). . The sulfur mustard would damage the eyes and the respiratory tract of a human. The United States arm would use sulfur mustard to decrease the opponent’s ability to fight because of the chemical burns on their skin. The first date recorded for military use was around 1822. The sulfur mustard was exposed to the United States army in small amounts to allow military personals to be able to notice the smell and reactions that it causes on the skin (Adler & Alexander, 1993).
The Lewisite was an organic arsenic. During World War I, this agent was used as war gas. This gas could be used over large distances and could be mixed with sulfur mustard. The Lewisite is a cellular poison that affects the respiratory tract and the skin. The Lewisite will immediate bring upon pain (Adler & Alexander, 1993). There have been many different researches completed on both Lewisite and Sulfur Mustard for opponent failure during war. The United States and Europe are still researching long-term effective on these two agents to the human body and how it affects the organs.
These agents are truly horrible for the human body to consume. I find it outrageous that military members are exposed to horrible gases. I would not want to be around the military if they have scientist that can develop these nasty gases. Under Title 45 code of federal regulations for protection of human subjects, servicemen that were involved in any testing of field runs would be required to sign consent (Adler & Alexander, 1993).
They would also be required to wear protected clothing and gas masks. This was in appendix E. even though these servicemen gave consent they were still exposed to acute respiratory infections. The servicemen were able to give consent but were not allowed to turn down completing the study. Under 46.100,Title 45: Protection of human subject, General Regulation for conducting research states that all research needs to have the consent of the subject and that the research must comply with the general regulations on testing human subjects (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2009).
Reference:
Adler, F. Alexander, S. (1993). Veterans at Risk: The Health Effects of Mustard Gas and Lewisite. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236059/
U.S Department of Health and Human Services. (2009, January 15) The Protection of Human Subjects. Retrieved from: https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/sites/default/files/ohrp/humansubjects/regbook2013.pdf.pdf
Educational concept in Allied Health Education.
Respond to the three attached PowerPoint.
- Posted by Michell M…For this response, after viewing the student PowerPoint, grade the project out of 40 points. Review and critique in a constructive manner.
- Posted by JULIE M… For this response, after viewing the students PowerPoint, highlight what you believe were the best practices of assessment, grading, and evaluation used by either the student who created the project or the student who graded the project.(Note: To receive full points, this feedback needs to be substantive.)
- Posted by Vanessa F….. a general response is okay for this student’s PowerPoint.
Theories and foundation of Crisis Intervention
- Posted by John B.
The crisis service organization I visited is Footprints Beach Side Recovery, located on Treasure Island in Pinellas County. Its mission is to serve individuals who are using various drugs or alcohol in their lives. The agency was founded in 2009 by John Templeton and his family as a result of a very personal tragedy that had taken place much earlier in the owner’s life. In 2001, at just 19-years-old, Mr. Templeton had been drinking to the point where he became too intoxicated to remember that he had been driving on the wrong side of the road when he struck and killed an 18-year-old woman in another vehicle. The judge presiding over the case sentenced Mr. Templeton to 2-years in prison followed by 2-years house arrest and 11 years’ probation, which included community service work hours in the city. The victim’s family forgave Mr. Templeton for the young woman’s death. Through that new-founded love from the family, Templeton worked to establish Footprints Beach Side Recovery to provide help to individuals whose lives are being inhibited by drug or alcohol use.
Today, the agency is family operated together with on staff licensed mental health counselors, nurses, doctors, and behavioral technicians. Other outside organizations in the community do not offer any financial support to Footprints, since it is strictly a private agency. Individuals electing to seek out treatment at Footprints must pay for services through private insurance or other personal resources. According to the agency’s admission director, individuals pay for treatment for 30 to 90 days. Persons who come to the center through the aid of their health insurance generally obtain a 2-week approval to receive treatment. The short time frame is due to insurance companies limiting and managing patient care to save money. In many instances however, the agency is able to receive approval for additional treatment for clients.
Individuals served at Footprints are, as noted earlier, persons who are using and abusing different types of drugs or alcohol. Although the entire family unit is not served at the center, issues impacting other family members as a result of the substance abuse are given attention during the therapeutic process. To receive treatment at Footprints, each individual is first given a qualifying interview by the admission director. The interview is the initial intake that allows the director to gain insight into the extent of the problem and the type of services the individual will likely need at the center. General questions asked during the intake relate to type of substance being used, frequency of use, changes in life style or behavior, and suicidal thoughts. A person is further assessed by one of the licensed mental health therapists on staff after admission to create the client’s treatment plan. Clients must attend mandatory group and individual therapy sessions during their stay at Footprints. Outside of therapy, clients can elect to exercise at the agency’s gym, participate in an art or yoga class, or receive a massage. The majority of the clients at the center stay in housing on the Footprints property, making it easy for them to attend all required therapeutic sessions after breakfast and elective activities. Individuals can leave the premises with permission if they would like a haircut or to purchase any other necessary incidentals. Additionally, individuals can participate in supervised weekly activities together outside the center, such as bowling or a retreat. The purpose of the group activities away from the center is to help the clients to start experiencing life again with sobriety.
Although many clients take their treatment seriously and strive to create personal successes once they have left Footprints, other individuals have an entirely different experience. They relapse and return to the center for additional help or they die as a result of drug overdose. While the staff at Footprints often feel uplifted by the success stories of the clients whom they have served, the tragic stories impact how they sometimes feel about their work. The stories have often led staff workers to feel saddened or tired, which are both signs of burnout. According to the Footprints admission director, one important way of preventing burnout in the field is the realization that regardless of how hard the staff try to help each client by providing him or her with individualized attention, not every patient will achieve the level of desire needed to live a happy, productive life. I agreed that such a point is instrumental, since it can help to keep the staff from repeatedly pondering in their minds whether they could have helped more when they hear of a client’s death due to continued drug or alcohol use after treatment.
Another important way according to the admission director of dealing with burnout both in the field and at Footprints is ensuring that workers take enough time away from the job to spend with family or go on vacation. I agreed with the director that this is another excellent point. I believe that time away from the job can help workers to regroup their thoughts and regain their energy. It also allows individuals to view circumstances from a clearer lens, since ones thoughts would be better organized after taking time away from the job.
Despite the burnout that so often accompanies the job at Footprints and the field overall, the social service providers at the agency have a passion towards the work they are performing. They are, as a result, planning to continue to provide services to those who need them. The benefits far outweigh the negatives in their eyes. For additional information about the staff or services provided at Footprints, visit https://www.footprintsbeachside.com/
- Posted by Thomas B.
For my Site Visit paper, I chose to visit Directions for Living in Clearwater, Fl. Directions for Living is a facility that helps people throughout the Tampa Bay area, whether it is a mental health crisis or family wellness support needs, often they find the proper resources. Their mission states “Our mission is to be a welcoming and compassionate provider, advocate, and partner to children, adults, and families in need of integrated healthcare, social support, safety, and hope for the future.” While visiting the Clearwater center I was able to talk with Ms. Vivian who works at the front desk, and she treated me with the utmost respect. She gave me some flyers of different services and upcoming events as well as one of their brochures. I spent time talking to her about my own personal experience with the facility as a patient/client six years ago. She was very grateful to hear a success story because earlier in the day she had a couple of clients screaming and yelling about having to sit and wait awhile before being seen by a staff member. In fact, I reminded her that one of my classes discussed how important the lobby of a crisis center can be for clients walking in for the first time; having the proper lighting, furniture, and staff were equally important.
I have had the opportunity to work with Shayla King who is a staff member with Directions for Living, she allowed me to sit and interview her for this assignment. First of all, Shayla is a mental health coordinator and spends most of her day out in the community. She started with Directions in April of this year; however, she has worked in the field for over ten years. Shayla told me that her day consist of meeting with clients and helping them with life skills such as getting to doctor appointments, applying for employment, and discussing healthy mental health management. Moreover, she takes the client from the first stages of a crisis and helps them take steps to balance out their lives. In fact, today I currently have three residents living in one of our recovery residences that were directly referred by Shayla through Directions for Living. She qualifies men and women at the Clearwater center and deems them a proper fit for certain places such as the company I work for. I then asked her where the funding comes from; she then explained that it comes from Medicare, Medicaid, state programs, and grants. Furthermore, she mentioned that another important resource for funding came from stake holders and private donations. I read that they also will work with clients on a sliding scale for most of their services.
As for some of the services that this center provides, the most important in my opinion is getting linked with medical professionals for mental heath issues and/or substance abuse. They allow walk-ins first thing in the morning, suggesting you arrive before the doors open and wait for slots to open from cancellations. I know that getting an appointment can take weeks, if not months, without a hospital referral. Likewise, many other social service agencies can get overwhelmed with clients waiting to receive services. Shayla reminded me that when a client is finished receiving help, the next case is on her load immediately. I felt compelled to ask her how she deals with stress and burnout, since we just studied the subject about a week ago. For example, she discussed spending time at the gym and beach to relax and relieve tension. Also, she talked about how she enjoyed yoga and meditation on her free time.
Finally, I wanted to share my own experiences with Directions for Living which were not positive until I became willing to help myself. Over ten years ago when my addiction was the cause of my massive heart attack and open-heart surgery, I was referred to the center. However, I excused the staff of being inconsiderate and useless because I was in complete denial of my problem. Then six years ago when I made the decision to get honest and accept the help; indeed, Directions for Living was a great asset for networking all the agencies and medical staff I needed to work out of my crisis. In conclusion, I have added some of the center’s services, website, and brochure.
www.directionsforliving.org