Client Participation Case Study

For the self-help meeting in regards for my reaction paper, I attended a Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting. NA is a nonprofit, community-based, 12-step recovery organization for recovering drug addicts (Bowens, 2011, p. 1). The meeting I attended took place outside on a Saturday afternoon at Magnolia Park in Garden Grove, California. It is an open-group tag meeting, where one speaker will tag another person to share and welcome for anyone to attend. It was very easy to locate the meeting, as it was right in front of the park’s only parking lot with members sitting in a circle on benches and lawn chairs. The meeting started at 12:00pm and ended around 1:30pm.

At the beginning of my training, I was hesitant to work with people struggling with addiction. However, at this point, I am excited to begin working with this population. The raw honesty presented in the group setting along with the anger at the possibility of losing a safe place created a dynamic I wanted to further explore. Research supports that individuals attending group therapy in a 12 step program format succeed if they have the proper support and motivation (Cite). The group dynamic demonstrated that recovery takes time and self-discovery, similar to other situations dealt with in therapy. Subsequently, by using my sense of self and humor with clients struggling with addiction, I can help them in their journey. Furthermore, the client needs to identify accountability at their own pace in the process and not when others dictate. This knowledge and the personalization of addiction will aid me in the future support of my

D: Client was present for group. Topic was focused on Dim5; discussion was on identifying different types of triggers and coping skills for difficult situations. Client attended the group on time and participated well in the group activity. Client demonstrated an understanding of the topic by sharing what influenced the last relapse and what she can do differently, and stated "I try things that I have not tried before or just do them a different way even though it works just put my hair on the other side”.

A psychiatrist in a methadone clinic in Northeast Washington, D.C. works with patients who are addicted to drugs. Some of her patients suffering from addiction

Harm reduction is a concept that refers to policies, programs, and practices that aim to reduce the harms associated with the use of psychoactive drugs in people unable or unwilling to stop (Syme, Browne, Varcoe, & Josewski, 2011). Methadone has been increasingly utilized as a means of addressing and reducing the health, social, and fiscal harms associated with opiate addiction (Kerr, Marsh, Li, Montaner, & Wood, 2005). During my clinical rotation at Rosthern Hospital, I learned that this small town rural hospital has a successful methadone program to treat opioid addiction. When a person thinks of small town Saskatchewan, their first though is not usually intravenous (IV) drug use, but after working at Rosthern Hospital for a few shifts, I began to realize the town and the surrounding communities may have an addictions problem. At the hospital, the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and support staff have all decided to collaborated and developed a harm-reduction methadone program for their patients. Not only is this program successful because it addresses the needs of the community, but it is also controversial. Using Carper’s (1978) “Five Ways of Knowing” I examined the methadone program and its patients, the positive and negatives, as well as a patient’s own personal experience being in the methadone program.

The group topic was on “Looking at Urges and Cravings” (U&C). Activities included learning and identifying the patterns/signs of U&C, and learning steps and strategies for handling U&C to avoid/prevent unnecessary relapse. Mr. Hatch minimally participated in the group process today. Identified his personal triggers are “Bills, stress, and old friends that are still using”, and he avoids to associate or contact with people that are still using, and works hard on his job. It appears that Mr. Hatch is able to cope with U&C without using substances to escape reality.

Attending three different types of treatment meetings helped me understand more clearly the ways that addicts mostly benefit from the provided services and support during their recovery processes. I say mostly because, although the benefits received from these meetings seem to outweigh the negatives for members, the meetings may lack the additional support offered via counseling or psychotherapy. I will share my experiences with the three types of groups I attended to demonstrate my understanding, impressions, and suggestions of possible ways to utilize and improve upon these supportive structures when working with substance abusing clients. Specifically, I intend to offer constructive feedback and criticism of ways I would like to

The client met with his counselor for a 1x1 session to developed a treatment plan. Client presenting issues Meth and Marijuana. The client as agreed that he would identify and process with a group of his peer's four ways, that meth affected his life and what were some of the consequences that happen as a result of his usage Client also has a medical issues that will implemented in his treatment plan.

PO was on time, completed the handout, and actively participated in the group discussion. Group discussion included how anger and other emotions were expressed in the family while growing up, what role you took in the family, and the connection between past learned and current addictive behavior. PO had positive interaction and shared appropriately in group, stated that his family expressed sadness and frustration “in many different ways. It depends how stressful the situation is”. PO indicated that he is living with his parents and they are supportive of his recovery. PO appears to be in the preparation stage of change AEB his participation and engagement in the group process.

Client currently resides with his brother in his trailer. Client is also responsible for taking care of his children during the day. Client reported his residence to be “pretty messy” and there are “cloths and toy’s everywhere.” Client reported, he only does the dishes “once every two weeks” and takes out the garbage “once a week.” Client reports, “cleaning takes a while because he needs to stop and think about what I am doing.” Client reported that he avoids shopping by himself and when he does shop he will only get the necessities. Client states “shopping is stressful” because the “stress increases the voices in my head.” Client reports he “gets to a point”, while shopping, that the “voices get overwhelming” and he has to

P: Client has decrease avoidant reactions (i.e. hiding and isolating) from 6x a day to 2x a day.

D-This writer apologized for meeting with the patient late as this writer previous counseling session had started late to the previous patient arrival. This writer addressed with the patient about her opiate withdrawal review as it did not warranted an increase. The patient then says, " You see, that Asian woman was rushing me......she has no respect at all. When I was doing the test, she was rude to me Charlene. I swear to the almighty, she's rude. I just wanted to leave, but I need to go up on my dose." According to the patient, she's experiencing the following the withdrawals: cold sweats, feel like I have the flu, and chills." The patient admits to relapsing yesterday of 6 bags of heroin by inhalation. When addressing the withdrawals with regards to the longitivity, the patient says," I have been struggle for weeks, Charlene.....I tried everything.....keeping my mind occupied, but it's unbearable." Alternatives were discussed with the patient. This writer strongly advised to not wait until the last minute to address this matter regardless if this writer is with another patient as her need for a dose increase should have been addressed immediately. This writer completed the HCRC medical form.

Client’s general pigmentation is very light tan with deep yellow undertones. Client’s skin is even and consistent with genetic background. Client’s facial expressions are symmetric and respond accordingly to appropriate behavior or mood. Client’s skin is intact with no obvious lesions. Client expresses a relaxed and comfortable facial expression which accompanies his adequate vision. (Jarvis, 2016, p. 293)

Per Brown, Pryzwansky, & Schulte (2011) consultation is a process of solving problems, or aid consultees with the knowledge to exercise their abilities to work more efficaciously within their organization, an individual, or group. Ideally, the consultant and consultee share an egalitarian relationship, and the skills in play mirror those of a counselor-client relationship, both consultant and consultee share ideas to solve an issue (Brown, Pryzwansky, & Schulte, 2011).

The Clientele Limited Group is an expanded financial services group, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and is one of South Africa's leading direct suppliers of financial service products. Over the past 20 years it has been successful in offering suitable and easy to understand financial services products to the public through various direct marketing and sales distribution channels. Clientele Limited's business model and the performance thereof has resulted in Clientele Life becoming the fastest growing Life Office in South Africa in relative terms. This model has provided stockholders with constant growing and returns on their investments with Return on Shareholder Equity consistently exceeding 50%. Clientele has also reliably been rated in the top 50