Hammond Home Counselor: Case Study

Growing up in a small town in Iowa I was unaware of the many situations involving hardship or misfortune that were around me. Therefore, it was not till college when I received the opportunity to work for a reentry program called the Transformative Justice Initiative that I became aware of the multiple factors lead to incarceration, drug use, homelessness, and other areas of hardship. The longer I was involved with the program the more I learned how mental health is convoluted in all of these situations and in all populations. Consequently, my experiences with the Transformative Justice Initiative helped me develop my future aspirations as a professional, which include a desire to work with individuals that have mental illness.

It is with great enthusiasm that I write to apply for the Staff Attorney Homelessness Prevention Project position at the Inner City Law Center (ICLC). Andrew Esbenshade from Caldwell Leslie & Proctor, PC recently referred me to you. He spoke highly of the ICLC and encouraged me to apply to this position. Given my professional experience and academic background, I am confident I could be an asset to your team.

I am Grace Norton, currently filling the position of Human Resources for Behavior Care Specialists. My educational and experience background comprises of an A.S. degree in Child Development and B.S. in Elementary Education and Special Education K-8. I was in the work force as Program Coordinator for the Developmental Population for almost 10 years.

With great willingness, I am applying for the position of Senior Program Development Specialist with the Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative. My longtime friend, Madelyn Keck, learned of the position and suggested I apply. I am seeking both a change and a challenge and this opportunity provides both. My education, skill-set, and experience make me an excellent candidate for this vacancy.

The nature of Carey Counseling Center Inc. is much different than that of a for profit company such as a car manufacturer. We have similar organizational structure, but utilizing grant services is much different than producing a car for sale on a lot. One objective we utilize to complete the housing process is the draw down system for payment. This process is an attempt by the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make the organizations utilizing these funds as efficient as possible which will in turn make their utilization more effective in theory. Carey prides itself in the efficiency in which it can bring in a homeless individual and house them, provided they are eligible and housing exists. The process of drawing down funds occurs

Please accept this cover letter and enclosed resume as my formal application for the project coordinator position at the Dell Children’s Medical Center. I am a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Brownsville, and have relocated to Austin, Texas where I am currently employed as a Talent Development Specialist for SNAP state benefits at ResCare. I hope to discuss the possibility of beginning work with Dell Children’s Medical Center as soon as possible I am confident that my experience, as well as my strong desire to work in a fast-paced healthcare environment, would be an asset to the DCMCCT Child Abuse Program.

I chose to visit a mental/ behavioral health agency, The Healthy Foundations Center, that works with many individuals who have been dually diagnosed to increase knowledge regarding substance abuse concerns. As a foster care agency, we are well prepared to work with children and families, however we are sometimes less prepared to meet the needs of parents who are also dealing with addiction. Currently, we cannot provide any medication management services, either, which is a service that could be beneficial to the clients we serve. I identified this agency because they have providers who are experienced in working with individuals with dual diagnosis, capable of meeting the complex needs of these families, as well as provide medication

The majority of research that exists on 12-step programs often focus on determining the success rate of 12-step programs such as AA. There is little to no research on problems associated with 12-step programs or problematic areas of 12-step programs. The little research that does exist argue that 12-step programs are not structured for comorbid individual, they may not be the best option for mild substance use disorder, and the central theme of powerlessness can conflict with a therapist’s theoretical orientation and be harmful to the therapeutic alliance. (Kelly & Myers, 2007, Laudet et al., 2004, L, Ingvarson, Richard, 1995). The National Institute of Mental Health (2013) has found that 43.6 million adults aged 18 and older have at least one mental illness and 45 percent of individuals with one mental disorder met criteria for two or more disorders. The presence of comorbid disorders can severely affect the treatment and outcome of individuals (Terra et al., 2006). Many studies have found that clients with a dual diagnosis experience increased rates of hospitalization and increased use of emergency services (Helzer & Pryzbeck, 1998). It is easy to imagine how hospitalization can interrupt treatment by making it difficulty for individuals to attend.

Did you know that 19.9 percent of adult Americans had some sort of a mental illness, according to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (samhsa.gov, 2015, Para. 3). This is a total of 45.1 million adults in America suffering with mental health disorders (samhsa.gov, 2015, Para. 3). There are also currently 20.8 million adults in America who suffer from substance use disorder ever year (NAMI.org, 2015). Both of these are alarming statistics of the wellbeing of the American citizens. To make matters worse, these two groups intertwine to a population of people known with a co-occurrence of mental illness and substance use or, more commonly known as, dual diagnosis.

A statistical piece of information that was interesting is that how the number of mental disorders increases as the number of substance abuse disorders increases as well. Services, U.D. (2005) states the likelihood of mental disorders rises alongside with substance abuse dependencies. With the rise of both abuses at the same time, it complicates treatment for the mental disorder patients that have drug use however, multiple drugs is normal for those who are substance abusers (Services, U.D., 2005). The reason this information is found to be interesting is because with the two disorders rising at the same level, it appears that the challenges will be harder and more co-occurring disorder patients are going to need help with their issues. As a counselor, one must be dually competent to treat these clients or have staff available to treat the clients who have co-occurring disorders to ensure an effective outcome.

As the acceptance and incidence of mental health has increased over the years, there is a dire need for constant change when it comes to mental health services. After reviewing both the State of Mental Health in America: 2017 and the Mental Health Reform Act 2016, I feel as though the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) alongside the state and federal governmental programs are addressing the issue head on and with purpose. Although there are lapses within the legislation, especially regarding the lack of grants offered for treatment of the homeless, the Mental Health Reform Act 2016 effectively addresses mental health and substance abuse appropriately while increasing managing to make mental health services more

Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) is the country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives. With more than 320 affiliate nationwide, we represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mental wellness for the health and well being of the nation, every day, and in a time of crisis (2007 Mental Health America). As an organization, Mental Health America has been around for nearly a century. We began work in 1909 when Clifford W. Beers, a young business man who struggled with a mental illness and shared his story with the world in his autobiography “A Mind

One of Carey Counseling Center’s most positive attributes relates to its willingness to offer bonuses. This proposal indicates structure more reliant of some sort of salary schedule that would include the bonuses. When an organization pays bonuses but not salary increases, it allows the organization to be less tied in to the specific salary every year. The current method goes as follows; if CCC has a successful year, the bonuses are good; if they do not there may be no bonus. There is not salary schedule making an increased salary reliant totally on cost of living increases. The recommendations include a salary schedule tied to years with company and bonuses based on performance of the organization. This implementation would significantly

I am highly confident that I would be the ideal candidate to fill the case management position within your company. My knowledge, skill-set and professional attributes, as outlined below, support your agency’s mission that stated “It is the mission of Fellowship House to assist adults with severe and persistent psychiatric disabilities and individuals that also have co-occurring substance abuse disorders, achieve the maximum level of community integration and self reliance”. In addition, my goal is to uphold the company policies by implementing integrity in my professional ability to assist each client based on their unique needs through diverse and/or integrated evidence-based treatment techniques. These techniques will empower each client

In the light of the information about his drug abuse, this patient is a good example of the theory that most people who have a substance abuse disorder, also suffer from a mental illness. He went on to talk about how he had broken his arm in the past and, as I noticed a severely deformed digit, his pinky finger recently. I asked him if he had received medical care for his broken bones; he replied, “no.” I questioned him further on why he hadn’t gone to the doctor and he replied, “Because I had a drug abuse problem, they just act like I am there for the drugs.” This correlates to the stigma the community puts on drug abuse. Most members in the community think people can just “snap out of” a drug addiction or don’t stop using drugs because they are “weak.” It is these theories possessed by the community that prevents some individuals from getting the help that they truly