Mental Health Overview, The Mental Health Act, Trauma Informed Care PDF

Mental Health Mental Health Definition  Definition: A disturbance in coping with stress, affecting thinking, mood, behavior, and overall functioning.  Caused by genetic, biological, personality, and environmental factors.  Biological factors. Chemical imbalances in t...

Mental Health Mental Health Definition  Definition: A disturbance in coping with stress, affecting thinking, mood, behavior, and overall functioning.  Caused by genetic, biological, personality, and environmental factors.  Biological factors. Chemical imbalances in the body can cause mental health disorders. Some disorders run in families, which suggests that they can be inherited (passed from parent to child).  Social and cultural factors. These include poverty, discrimination, and social or physical isolation.  Stressful life events. Although stress is a fact of everyday life, too much stress can cause serious health concerns, especially if it is not dealt with in a healthy-lifestyle manner. Family situations and workplace pressures can be stressful.  Terms like mental illness, mental disorder, emotional illness, and psychiatric disorder are synonymous with mental health disorder. Impact of Mental Health Disorders Onset often occurs in adolescence or young adulthood…why is this? Childhood experiences. Childhood traumas or conflicts, particularly when memories of Affects people across all ages, them are repressed, can cause mental cultures, education, and income health disorders. Repression means the levels. keeping from the conscious mind of (or “burying of”) unpleasant or painful thoughts. For example, a client who was sexually abused during childhood has no recollection of the abuse.  Mental Health Wellness  A state of mind allowing effective coping with daily stressors in socially acceptable ways.  Influenced by inherited traits, childhood nurturing, and life circumstances.  Characteristics of Good Mental Health:  Ability to cope and recover from life's challenges.  Capacity to handle normal stress, express and control emotions, and build relationships.  Feeling competent, self-aware, and leading an independent life.  Emotions in Mental Health:  Mentally healthy individuals experience emotions like anxiety, sadness, and grief but manage them effectively. Supporting Clients with Mental Health Disorders  Dignity: Treat clients respectfully, avoiding labels like “schizophrenic” or “drug addict.” Use person-first language, such as “has schizophrenia” or “lives with a substance-dependence disorder.”  Independence: Encourage autonomy within safe limits. Recognize that clients may have impairments in some areas but not in all.  Individualized Care: Adapt care to each client’s unique strengths, preferences, personality, and care plan. Build trust with clients and their families through appropriate communication.  Client Preferences: Offer choices in care to foster a sense of control. Encourage clients to share their preferences, which can prevent withdrawal or distress.  Privacy: Maintain confidentiality and respect clients' boundaries. Only discuss client details with the healthcare team.  Safety: Minimize stressors and monitor for signs of illness or distress, as these can exacerbate mental health issues. Create a safe, calm environment and follow the care plan to prevent injuries or triggers. The Importance of DIPPS Mild disorders cause fewer challenges compared to severe disorders. Varying Impacts: Severe disorders often cause distress to individuals and their families, sometimes leading to an inability to function and disruptive behaviors. Role of Support Provide reassurance and support to clients and their families. Workers: Sensitivity to Clients and families may be sensitive to signs of disapproval or stigma due Stigma: to past negative experiences. Care Approach: Use respectful, nonjudgmental, and accepting language and body language. Pay attention to verbal and nonverbal cues to avoid conveying disapproval.  Ensure Safety: Provide Follow the Care Plan: Be Patient and Build Trust: Be reliable, a safe, comfortable, Accept Clients Fully: Adhere to the care plan Supportive: punctual, and explain and calming Avoid judgments and and report ineffective Communicate calmly procedures to reduce environment while accept each client as a measures to your and avoid loud or harsh anxiety and promote acting as the client’s whole person. supervisor. tones. trust. advocate. Support Adaptation: Encourage Emotional Monitor Closely: Promote Responsibility: Provide Consistency: Intervene in harmful or Expression: Listen to Observe and report Help clients take Maintain routines and unacceptable behaviors clients to understand changes in mood, responsibility for their reliable care to reduce and guide clients their feelings and behavior, or signs of actions to build self- stress and promote toward healthier coping thoughts. illness. worth and confidence. stability. strategies. Principles of Mental Health Care Team Care Approach Care Planning Goals: Team Members: Treatment Options: Address both physical safety and Family Physician: May prescribe Medications: Prescribed based on specific emotional needs of clients. medications. disorders and symptoms. Involves input from multiple health care Nurse: Provides ongoing care and Psychotherapy: Helps clients explore team members. monitoring. thoughts, feelings, and behaviors with Occupational Therapist: Assists with mental health specialists. relearning life skills. Psychoanalysis: Explores unconscious conflicts behind mental health issues. Social Worker: Helps resolve practical Behavior Therapy: Focuses on modifying issues (e.g., employment). behaviors, not underlying causes. Support Worker: Provides daily support Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): and assistance. Short-term, practical, problem-solving therapy teaching coping strategies. Mental Health Specialists: Group Therapy: Provides peer support in Psychiatrists: Diagnose and prescribe a guided group setting. medications. Family Therapy: Addresses family Psychologists/Psychotherapists: Focus conflicts and dynamics with a mental on non-medication therapies. health specialist. Indigenous Mental Health Providers: Use traditional or combined healing methods for Indigenous clients and communities. The Mental Health Act  The British Columbia (BC) Mental Health Act (MHA) is a crucial piece of legislation that outlines the protocols for the admission and treatment of individuals with mental health disorders, it does not consider medical disorders under the act.  Only applicable to BC. Each province and territory has its own legislation regarding the protocols for the admission and treatment of individuals with mental health disorders.  As a Health Care Assistant (HCA) in BC, understanding the key aspects of this Act is essential to ensure the rights and well-being of clients are upheld.  Voluntary Admission: Clients who recognize their need for treatment can consent to admission and are free to leave the facility at any time.  Involuntary Admission: Clients may be admitted without their consent if they meet specific criteria indicating they pose a risk to themselves or others due to a mental disorder. This process requires certification by two physician within 48hours and is good for 30 days. If a renewal is required and the patient meets the criteria, one physician can renew for another 30 days. Renewals can occur again via the same process but this time last up to three months, and again finally for six months. After each renewal patients must be informed of their rights, including the right to a review panel earing to contest their involuntary status.   A person can be involuntarily admitted if they have a mental disorder that:  Seriously impairs their ability to react appropriately to Criteria for their environment or associate with others. Requires psychiatric treatment in or through a designated Involuntary  facility. Admission  Needs care, supervision, and control to prevent substantial mental or physical deterioration or for the protection of themselves or others.   Involuntary patients have the right to:  Be informed promptly of the reasons for their detention.  Contact a lawyer.  Request a review panel hearing to challenge their detention. Rights of  Access a second medical opinion regarding their Involuntary treatment.  Involuntary patients can expect to “live” at the Patients designated facility for the outlined timeframe per the MHA. They are entitled to day or night passes, pending their clearance level determined by their psychiatrist and their assigned nurse on duty – but will be required to adhere to a strict return plan. Passes can be revoked.  What happens if an involuntary patient leaves a designated facility without authorization?  This is referred to as “Absent Without Leave” AWOL  First things first, do a full sweep THRICE, then call a code yellow through the facility  Next, initiate the protocol:  Notify the physician, site supervisor, police AWOL Protocol  A warrant is issued and law enforcement is involved  Once apprehended, they return to the facility  Reassess. Know that adjustments may be made to the careplan that could impact your work assigned duties (i.e. increased frequent checks) The HCA role and the MHA Observation and Reporting: Advocacy: Ensure clients are Monitor clients for any aware of their rights and changes in behavior or support them in exercising condition and report these to these rights. the appropriate healthcare professionals. Support: Provide Confidentiality: Maintain compassionate care, the confidentiality of all respecting the dignity and client information, sharing autonomy of clients, and details only with authorized assist them in understanding members of the healthcare their treatment plans. team. Trauma Informed Care Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is an approach to health care and service delivery that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and its potential effects on individuals. It seeks to create an environment where clients feel safe, supported, and empowered, while minimizing the risk of re-traumatization As a Health Care Assistant (HCA) in British Columbia, understanding and applying trauma-informed care is essential to provide compassionate and effective support to clients who may have experienced trauma Trauma Informed Care Principles Understanding Trust and Choice and Trauma and Its Safety: Transparency: Empowerment: Impact: Trauma can Physical, Build trust Provide result from emotional, and through individuals with events such as psychological consistent, open, choices and abuse, neglect, safety is and honest involve them in violence, loss, or prioritized for communication. decision-making systemic clients and staff. Ensure policies processes. oppression. Create and practices Empower clients It affects environments are clear and to regain a sense physical and where predictable. of control over mental health, individuals feel their lives. behavior, and secure and relationships. respected. Trauma Informed Care Principles, cont. Recognizing Cultural Humility Preventing Re- Collaboration: Strengths and and Inclusivity: traumatization: Resilience: Foster a Respect and Focus on Avoid actions, partnership integrate clients’ individuals’ environments, or between the cultural, racial, strengths and interactions that provider and ethnic, and resilience rather could remind client. gender identities than their clients of past Emphasize into care. deficits. trauma. teamwork and Avoid bias and Help clients Be sensitive to mutual respect discrimination build skills and triggers and confidence to responses. navigate challenges. HCA Role when Providing TIC Trauma Awareness: Recognize Emphasis on Safety and that trauma is prevalent and can Trustworthiness: Create an significantly impact an individual's environment that ensures physical, physical and mental health, emotional, spiritual, and cultural relationships, and behavior. safety for clients. This involves Understanding the effects of clear communication, consistent trauma helps in interpreting behavior, and respecting clients' clients' actions and responses boundaries to build trust appropriately. Promoting Choice, Collaboration, Strengths-Based and Skill-Building and Connection: Empower clients Approach: Focus on clients' by involving them in decision- strengths and support them in making processes and respecting developing coping skills and their autonomy. Foster positive resilience. This includes teaching connections through authentic and relaxation techniques, social skills, warm interactions, which are and other strategies to manage the crucial for healing and recovery. effects of trauma. Self-Care and Professional Support: Be aware of the potential for secondary trauma and prioritize self-care. Engage in regular supervision and seek support to maintain personal well- being and provide the best care to clients.  Incorporating these principles into daily practice Why is Trauma Informed Care important? enables HCAs to offer care that acknowledges and addresses the complexities of trauma, fostering a supportive and healing environment for clients. Trauma is widespread, and many individuals seeking services have experienced it. It helps clients feel understood and valued, which can lead to better outcomes. By avoiding re-traumatization, it promotes healing and recovery. It supports a more compassionate and effective care environment for everyone involved. Takeaway Message In Class Activity Caregiver Characteristics   What personal and professional caregiver characteristics would be most valuable when working with individuals with mental health challenges? Encourage them to consider characteristics related to: 1. Personality/temperament 2. Knowledge about mental health Caregiver 3. Ability to form relationships with Characteristics clients 4. Need for control 5. Ability to work with other health care team members 6. Ability to interact with family members 7. Other characteristics that seem important In Class Activity BC 211 BC 211  For this assignment, you'll explore the community resources available in British Columbia using the BC 211 website. By researching and identifying relevant organizations, you'll gain valuable insight into the services and support provided to individuals and families in the community. This will help you build your knowledge and preparedness as a future Health Care Assistant (HCA).  1 2 3 Explore the BC 211 Website: Research and Document Key Be Prepared to Share TODAY: Visit the BC 211 website and explore Information: For each organization, You will be randomly selected to the various organizations listed. provide the following details: present one of your chosen Choose three (3) organizations based Why You Picked It: organizations to the class. on either: Explain why you chose this If another student presents the same Your personal interest, or organization. Is it aligned with your organization you chose, you will need How knowing about this personal interests or career goals? to share your second option. For this organization could be beneficial for How could this knowledge benefit reason, ensure you research three your career as an HCA. you as an HCA? options in detail. Who the Organization Aids: Identify the primary population(s) the organization supports (e.g., seniors, students, women, families, individuals with disabilities, people with mental health challenges, etc.). What the Organization Does: Describe what is offered by the organization. How the Organization Helps: Explain the ways the organization Instructions supports or assists its clients/population. Where the Organization is Located: Provide the region where the organization operates. Mention whether the services are in-person, virtual, or both.