Importance of The Withdrawal of Health Fitness Training Camps in The Style of Today And Life Changing Work Culture
Many developing economies had undergone a certain life style change and eating habits of people have changed over the time. Now many people rely over packaged food or junk food for regular diet but this type of food is not appropriate for human body though it may taste great. Over the years it has been observed that percentage of people having obesity problem is increasing day by day and even in some countries obesity is considered as an epidemic.
However obesity is not a disease but it’s considered to be root of many diseases like diabetes, arthritis and heart problems. But considering obesity as an only effect of life style change will not be correct infect many physiologically diseases and disease like joint pain are mainly because of life style change. In various human resources studies it has been found that employees under pressure of work are more likely to have such diseases.
People suffering from obesity or other diseases must not loose hope as many fitness boot camps provide special trainings courses to cure such physical and mental problems. As suggested by name itself fitness boot camps are dedicated health retreat centers often under the guidance of trained military professionals. A person should consider in fitness boot camp if he or she have one or more following reasons-
In case of obesity where one like to reduce weight and wants a good body shape.
In case one is having particular disease like arthritics and joint pain.
In case one wants to put on some weight in order to look good.
If one wants to increase its muscle strength and want to give their body a massive look.
Apart from this many people and kids join fitness boot camp on there holidays often term as fitness Holidays. many organisation arrange special fitness camp for their employees on holidays more often known as fitness holidays boot camp as they believe that fitness of the employees is a must for better performance of employees and at the same end employees like fitness holidays as a get chance to enjoy there holiday with a fruit full purpose.
Fitness boot camps normally aims a particular health problem at a time like any health retreat camp for obesity will consist people seeking weight lose and trainers of fitness boot camp design the entire camp keeping in mind the same. Time duration of fitness camp also depends upon the objective of the camp as obesity may take its own sweet time to reduce. While fitness holidays boot camp are one day or two day specialized and customized boot camps.
Other activities apart of regular exercise and diet plan make boot camp an interesting venture giving visitors a physical and mental health retreat other activities include spa, massage, meditation and yoga. Meditation and yoga are now gaining popularity as they are very powerful tool for mental health retreat. Experienced trainers take regular sessions of yoga and meditations and keep on tracing improvements in visitors.
Health retreats not only provide a person desired health status but is very helpful in overall mental and physical retreat of the people. Many people may find it difficult to continue any health retreat camp in early days because of the strict work schedule and regular diet plan but later they will find themselves motivated by comparing their performances with other members of the health retreat camp.
Agoraphobia is a fear of being in any place or situation where it would be difficult to escape or get help if needed. Learn more: mental.healthguru.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Related Mental Health Articles
Posted in Mental Health | 
Camps, Changing, Culture, Fitness, Health, Importance, life, Style, Today, Training, Withdrawal, Work | 
Leave a commentMental Health Article
Article by Keith A Sei
Habits to Keep the Brain Healthy:
The brain is considered as the central processing unit of the human body. It is the main organ that controls the rest of the bodily parts. And since the brain is like a muscle, it needs to be exercised regularly in order for it to stay in optimum condition.
It’s true that every organ in the body has an important role to play, but besides the heart, the brain is one organ you would want to keep healthy all the time. It is through the brain that we learn, think, and remember things, and if we fail to maintain its health, we may end up with a high risk for degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. It’s a good thing that there are several things you can do to take proper care of your brain so that you don’t easily succumb to mental problems and brain diseases.
Stress is the number one cause of diseases and disorders in the bodily organs. If you want to maintain the youth and health of your brain, do your best to get rid of the stressors in your life. When you are under severe stress, hormones called cortisol rush to the hippocampus, the part of your brain that stores short term memory. When there’s too much cortisol rushing to the hippocampus, brain cells may die and result to poor learning and memory function. To avoid short term memory loss and improve your brain function, try some relaxation techniques that will help you eliminate or at least control stress. When you’re stressed, take long deep breaths to allow more oxygen to enter your brain. This encourages relaxation and helps improve your focus and concentration.
Sometimes, stress can be a result of lack of sleep. For your information, sleeping helps improve the brains health not only by reducing stress. Sleep is designed to allow damaged tissues in your body to heal. During sleep time, your body repairs the part of your brain that holds your memories together, making it an excellent activity to boost your long-term memory. Even a short nap during the day can boost the health of brain significantly. Some establishments in America allow their employees to take 20 minute power naps in the afternoon because they believe it can help improve their performance at work. This is quite true because according to studies, people who get at least 8 hours of sleep every day have sharper memories than those who only get 4-5 hours of sleep.
Speaking of sharper memory, playing brain games like scrabble, crossword puzzle, and Sudoku can richly enhance your mental ability. Whenever you spend time brainstorming or thinking hard on how you can win in Mastermind, the hippocampus in your brain generates new cells. The more mental stimulation and mental excitement you experience, the better.
Another more exciting way to improve your brain’s health is by feeding it. According to scientists, your thinking and your memory is greatly influenced by the kind of food that you eat. Since your brain is made up mainly of fat, what better way to fee it than by eating more fat? When we speak of fat, we’re referring to healthy fat or monounsaturated fat that you get from olive oil, avocado, canola oil, and nuts. If you’re not aware of it, Omega-3 that’s considered a brain food is actually a form of polyunsaturated fat. Include more Omega-3 -rich foods in your diet like tuna, sardines, salmon and mackerel. Other rich sources of Omega-3 are dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, asparagus, and broccoli. Alternatively, you can also improve your intake of Omega-3 by taking supplements.
Aside from monounsaturated fat, your brain also needs protein in order to function properly. Protein found in eggs, poultry, and fish increases serotonin in the brain. This chemical helps boost the feelings of the well-being of a person. In short, it acts like a “feel-good” chemical, just like endorphin. Endorphin, likewise, is a chemical released by the brain during physical activities like exercising. That makes regular physical exercise an excellent way to maintain the health of the brain as well. Each time you work a sweat by performing your favorite workout routine, you are actually promoting circulation of both blood and oxygen to the brain.
There is no question that your brain controls most of your bodily functions. By keeping it on top condition all the time, you can keep your overall health in check as well.
It’s true that every organ in the body has an important role to play, but besides the heart, the brain is one organ you would want to keep healthy all the time. It is through the brain that we learn, think, and remember things, and if we fail to maintain its health, we may end up with a high risk for degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.Emotional Causes of Nervous Breakdowns
Sometimes we may write it off as the person just not knowing how to deal with pressures and other stresses, but if someone in your family has had a nervous breakdown, or if you are worried about having one yourself, it might help to try to understand the emotions involved in the process.Is Video Game Addiction a Serious Mental Health Problem?
While alcoholism and drug addiction have long been recognized by the medical community, recognition of non-substance addictions has been slower in coming. In the DSM, the official manual psychiatrists use to diagnose mental disorders, the only non-substance addiction currently recognized is gambling addiction, while addictions to things like food, sex, and the internet are still not mentioned. But even though these addictions aren’t officially recognized, many psychiatrists do take them seriously.ANGER MANAGEMENT Techniques — Seven Ways to Tame Your Anger
Are you angry a lot? If you’re wondering whether you have an anger management problem, chances are good that you do. But you can get back in control. Read on to discover seven anger management techniques that will help you tame your anger quickly.Do Deep Conversations Make Us Happier?
But according to a recent study published in the journal of Psychological Science, this is a misconception. Yes, it can negatively affect the mood when we dwell on things like death and disaster, but there are plenty of other deep and meaningful topics to talk about–and we apparently should be talking about them.The Basics of Emotional Freedom Techniques
Practically everyone can benefit from at least some form of EFT treatment. There are no specific eligibility requirements, and anyone who enters an emotional freedom techniques clinic is welcomed with open arms.How to Deal with Panic Attacks
People who suffer recurrent panic attacks usually have a history with the disorder going back to childhood. In many cases, the attacks begin during high-stress situations at school or as a result of separation anxiety. As the child grows older, the attacks gradually begin to disassociate from real-world stimuli and to take on a pattern of their own.BATH OIL: CHANNEL YOUR WAY TO REJUVENATION
Every person want to look good, bath oil provides the full care for your body skin and keeps your skin healthy and the charming. You should be careful before purchasing bath oils. Here are the short thing about the bath oil how the bath oil should be selected.Symptoms of Anxiety Attack
Anxiety as an acute form of depression and frustration is the symptom of overstressing of the mind and breathing fire inside over trivial matters whether they are important or unimportant by the patient.Bipolar Disorder Self Injury
A bipolar self-injury syndrome is a catastrophic stage of the brain with involvement of depression at the same time that makes a patient suffers from manic disabilities.Bipolar Mental illnesses
A bipolar mental illnesses is the compilation of various other illnesses relating brain and its sophisticated functioning to act, decide, target, process the information comprehensively,
The Deviant in Mental Health
Article by Tony Robinson
According to statistics the deviant in mental health is always, the professionals since these people are striving to submit their patients to the so-called norms. The so-called norms are said to be people that conform to a standard set of rules, and often believe similar in contrast. This means that everyone is everyone else and few are who they really are.
Mental health is overrated in many instances. For example, if a counselor believes one way he or she will not falter at the voices of the patient’s belief. If the patient believes that he or she is physically ill and the counselor see no evidence of the claim, the professional will often take for advantage that the patient is ill. However, if the patient goes to the doctor, tests are run, and then the who is the deviant. The game of cat and mouse is always played in mental health and mental illness since everyone wants to be right.
Is it any wonder mental illnesses are increasing and counselors are sitting in their comfortable chairs trying to figure out what is going on? Anyone that goes to a mental health professional is almost certain to receive an instant diagnose. The intake worker alone will evaluate a patient searching for evidence that complies with the Insurance coverage. They will then ship the patient over to a therapist and possibly onto a psychiatrist.
The chain never ends. Too many times when patients visit a therapist the professional will take for advantage that he or she is educated and the patient is a misfit. They often will talk, but listening is minimal. First, it takes years if not a lifetime to treat a patient with paranoid schizophrenia, and most times the patients are covered with Medicaid/Medicare and neglected throughout the course of treatment. Mental health experts are in constant battle trying to find answers too many questions. Today there are experts admitting that listening to the patient is proving more fruitful. It is time we all look at the problems going on in the world and start taking it more serious, rather than disregarding the problems. It is a shame that too many mentally ill patients are sitting in jail, simply because someone did not listen and no one did anything toward finding a resolve. Mental illness as defined is a series of minds that manufacture behaviors that are reworked copies of a social existence. According to studies, the behaviors of mental ill patients often infringe on the so-called normal society. One of the most common traits in mental illnesses according to professionals is denial. Here is where we stop. Denial > Mentally Ill > When a counselor makes a mistake in many cases they put the blame on the patient or faulty teachings. Few rarely take responsibility for their wrong. Political > When the leaders of the world make mistakes they often search the world for someone else to blame….Religion > When religious leaders are persecuted or else wrong, many find a way to blame the victims or candidates involved. When society makes mistakes, they often find someone else to blame. When the law makes mistakes in most cases, it’s always someone else’s fault. Denial…I think you better taking a deeper look at who is in denial, since patients sitting across from a professional asking for help are admitting there is a problem.
There are many areas we can review, but the deviant is not always sitting across the room looking into the eyes of a mentally ill person. We can also look closer at the so-called norms of society and see they have their own set of problems. If we all conform to a set of beliefs that has proven failure, what makes the person (s) think they are mentally stable.
If people are sitting down letting everyone around them control their lives and rarely standing up for their own beliefs…who says they are mentally stable. Mental illnesses go deeper than many are aware, since nearly everyone in the world is suffering some type of abnormal behavior copied from other behaviors. Someone else influences everyone; therefore, we all lost our values and morals somewhere along the way.
VICTORIA – It’s no secret that smoking is bad for us. But despite the facts, 123 Canadians die every day from tobacco related illness. Statistics show a large percentage of people with mental health issues smoke, but only 18% of the general population is addicted to nicotine. The Tobacco Fighters and Survivors Club at the Psychiatric Day Hospital in Victoria tries to help people kick their smoking habit to help them live longer lives. The program director says it is under funded and could use more money. She is hoping money raised at the Courtnall Celebrity Classic will help. The fundraiser’s goal is to erase the stigma associated with mental illness and create awareness. For information about the Classic visit: www.courtnallclassic.org Follow Louise Hartland on Twitter – http
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Public Health Significance of Mental Health & Recommendations for Prevention
Article by Dr Deryck D. Pattron
The Problem:Mental health. Mental disorders occur across the lifespan, affecting persons of all racial and ethnic groups, both genders, and all educational and socioeconomic groups. In the US approximately 40 million people aged 18 to 64 years, or 22 % of the population, had a diagnosis of mental disorder alone or of a co-occurring mental and addictive disorder in the past year. At least one in five children and adolescents between age 9 and 17 years has a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. The annual cost of diagnosing and treating mental disorders in the US is 69 billion in 1996.
Recommendations for Prevention:* Improve mental health and ensure access to appropriate, quality mental health services.* Develop service delivery mechanisms for early recognition of symptoms and interventions.* Implement fundamental structural changes that require creative and flexible responses from service providers, administrators, researchers and policymakers alike.* More social and behavioral research is needed to explore the concept of resilience to identify strengths that may promote health and healing. * Although mental illnesses, for the most part are equal opportunity disorders, there are some marked differences in how they present themselves and how they are prevented, diagnosed and treated by gender, racial and ethnic group and age.* Additional research is needed to help quantify the public health burden of stress and identify ways to prevent or alleviate it through environmental or individual strategies.* Implement strategies for translating new knowledge into clinical applications can strengthen opportunities for future clinical and service system innovations. * Seeking timely help and support with personal and emotional problems.* Using community support programs for severe and persistent disorders.* Develop educational and outreach programs to reduce the negative consequences of mental disorders.* Rehabilitation is an essential part of care for adults with serious mental illness. To promote independent living, rehabilitation programs often evaluate and place these persons in jobs. * Drug treatment. Mental disorders can be treated using a range of drugs including: cholinergic inhibitors, muscarinic agonists, calcium channel blockers, anti-inflammatory drugs, estrogen, antioxidants, ampakines, neuropeptides, trophic factors and protease inhibitors and antidepressants.
Find More Mental Health Articles
Posted in Mental Health | Health, mental, Prevention, Public, Recommendations, Significance | Leave a commentIs Working After Retirement Good for Your Health?
Just when you get a day closer to retirement, someone comes up with another reason to continue working. A recent national study shows that people who transition from full-time employment to part-time employment suffer fewer health related problems than those who opt for full retirement.
Retirees who transition instead of suddenly quitting working all together have been found to suffer from fewer major illnesses or disease. The American Psychological Association refers to this sort of transition as “bridge employment”.
The research involved over 12,000 participants, ranging in age from 51 to 61. During a six year span, each of the participants were interviewed every two years. The interview consisted of questions concerning their health, financial status, employment history, and continued work or retirement.
The research consisted of only those health problems that had been properly diagnosed by a physician. People who worked post retirement at jobs in the same field as their lifetime careers showed better mental health. The stress of learning a new skill outside their previous career field has been found to have a negative impact on mental health and financial security.
Retirees who continued to work at bridge employment were found to have a 31% higher mental score than those who chose full retirement. Other research has shown that 3/4 of men between the ages of 55 and 75 are in better health when they continue to work post retirement age. With women, 71% of those who continue to work are in better health, mentally and physically, than those who opt for full retirement.
Those who continue to work past retirement are also less stressed financially. Let’s face it, with today’s economy as it is, it is hard for anyone to make ends meet without the income received from full or part-time work.
From my experience in the geriatric field, I have seen the negative effects that a stagnate lifestyle can have on the elderly, both mentally and physically. Growing older is a difficult thing for many folks to handle. Even if you do opt for full retirement, please be sure to keep yourself healthy and active in all aspects of life for your health and mental well being.
Care Services Minister Paul Burstow introduces the Government’s Mental Health Strategy
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Related Mental Health Articles
Ethics in Psychology and the Mental Health Professions: Standards and Cases (Oxford Textbooks in Clinical Psychology) Reviews
Ethics in Psychology and the Mental Health Professions: Standards and Cases (Oxford Textbooks in Clinical Psychology)
Most mental health professionals and behavioral scientists enter the field with a strong desire to help others, but clinical practice and research endeavors often involve decision-making in the context of ethical ambiguity. Good intentions are important, but unfortunately, they do not always protect the practitioner and client from breaches in ethical conduct. Academics, researchers, and students also face a range of ethical challenges from the classroom to the laboratory. Now in a new expanded edition, Ethics in Psychology and the Mental Health Professions, the most widely read and cited ethics textbook in psychology, has emerged with a broadened scope extending across the mental health and behavioral science fields. The revised volume considers many of the ethical questions and dilemmas that mental health professionals encounter in their everyday practice, research, and teaching. The book has been completely updated and is now also relevant for counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, and psychiatrists, and includes the ethics codes of those groups as appendices. Providing both a critical assessment and elucidation of key topics in the APA's guidelines, this comprehensive volume takes a practical approach to ethics and offers constructive means for both preventing problems, recognizing, approaching, and resolving ethical predicaments. Written in a highly readable and accessible style, this new edition retains the key features which have contributed to its popularity, including hundreds of case studies that provide illustrative guidance on a wide variety of topics, including fee setting, advertising for clients, research ethics, sexual attraction, how to confront observed unethical conduct in others, and confidentiality, among others. Ethics in Psychology and the Mental Health Professions will be important reading for practitioners and students-in training.An instructors manual is available for professors on http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195149111
Related Mental Health Products
Posted in Mental Health | Cases, Clinical, Ethics, Health, mental, Oxford, Professions, Psychology, Reviews, Standards, Textbooks | Leave a commentPsychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based Practice
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based Practice
Rely on the distinctive voice and dedicated vision of Mary C. Townsend to provide the most clearly written, comprehensive text for psychiatric mental health nursing. Follow an evidence-based, holistic approach to nursing practice that focuses on both biological and behavioral components. Thoroughly revised and updated, the 7th Edition adds a new emphasis on therapeutic communication and offers up-to-date coverage of Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiatives. Plus, a BONUS CD-ROM provides additional practice with an electronic workbook and NCLEX-style questions, including alternate-item format questions.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MENTAL HEALTH (Care and Treat...
 | US $4.32 End Date: Sunday May-20-2012 6:29:37 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $4.32 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
 | US $69.68 End Date: Sunday May-20-2012 6:52:36 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $69.68 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Related Mental Health Products
Posted in Mental Health | Care, Concepts, EvidenceBased, Health, mental, Nursing, Practice, Psychiatric | Leave a commentHomelessness and Mental Illness: Do We Accept the Myth?
Clearly, not all people who are homeless are mentally ill. In a society where many have been, due to economics, just one paycheck away from living in their car, not every person in need has a psychiatric illness. I live in Loudoun County, Virginia, which for several years in a row has been ranked as the fastest growing county in the US, and where the median annual household income is 4,179, the unemployment rate is 2.2%, and we can’t develop the homeless shelters fast enough. Our largest men’s shelter had to be closed a little over a year ago, because here, we place the shelters and group homes for the mentally ill and mentally retarded/developmentally disabled in the general community (often as a building development’s requirement, they must provide so many group homes per houses sold). When the men’s shelter was determined to be housing primarily registered sex offenders (and we can decide in another articler if criminal behavior and deviants should be classified the same as schizophrenics) the community uproar closed it down.
I live around the corner from three of the mental health group homes that I used to be the nurse for, and frankly, while I LIKE that my community provides these services, and even on my street, I don’t like the idea of pedophiles standing at the fence looking into the school playground where my son is every day. So I understand the uproar. Also, since I know the MH group home patients by name, know their histories, and have spent hundreds of hours with many of them, they are my neighbors in the truest sense.
Albert is a paranoid schizophrenic whose parents were the primary household staff for a wealthy family in Middleburg, and he was raised on their horse farm. Even after his parents died, the employers kept him there, and it wasn’t until the next generation took over that he was sent off to the State Hospital. He was one of the very first clients to be discharged from the hospital into the newly opened group home over 20 years ago.
Albert could be the poster image of a psychiatric patient who was successfully reintegrated from the hospital into a SUPPORTED community environment. The support that he has received from the county department of mental health service staff, which include supervised housing, medication management, day treatment programming, assistance in every aspect of daily living- this is how he has been able to live successfully in the community. He has his own room, and staff to make sure that he does his laundry, showers daily, takes his medications, and eats a balanced diet (after they take him to the bank to cash his check, take him to the grocery store to shop, and supervise his meal preparation).
It is possible that Albert might have done well without this support. He might have found a way to deal with his auditory hallucinations, which occur in the form of voices telling him that his Clozaril (antipsychotic medication) is poison. It’s hard to imagine, though. Today he walks through our little town daily, and everyone knows him, “G’morning, Mr. Albert”. He goes to the post office, the town hall, and if it’s a slow afternoon one of the police officers will give him a ride back to the group home (which he really enjoys).
Albert’s life has been significantly different than that of another paranoid schizophrenic, of about the same age, who was recently admitted to our inpatient unit.
John was at Dulles Airport, floridly psychotic, malnourished, filthy, and with a tinfoil “helmet” covering his dreadlocks because “it helps block the tracking devices”. John resisted the airport police who were trying to figure out how to help him, and so was brought to our unit. John also hears voices telling him not to take medicine, but he has no support or means to get his medication on a regular basis anyway, so the point is moot. While he was on our unit, we were visited by the Secret Service, who apparently have an open file on John, because he was arrested several months previously for, honest to God, trying to pee on the eternal flame at JFK’s grave at Arlington cemetery. According to John, JFK was his father ( and Queen Elizabeth bought him a Ford pick up truck) and he himself is the King of Russia.
Based on what we were able to piece together, John has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for decades, mostly in the VA-MD-DC area. He may stabilize briefly when given antipsychotic meds in the hospital, but as soon as he is discharged, he is back on the streets, until his next outrageous act gets him readmitted. Is he dangerous? I don’t know, he hasn’t been so far, but I also don’t know if his voices are going to start telling him something different at some point in time. The fact that he can’t be detained against his will for a longer period of time may be legally in his favor, but is it really? Do we honestly believe that anyone would chose to live in rags, eating garbage and with tinfoil on their head as a civil right? Is it possible that a few decades ago, with the right support, John could have had a life more like Albert’s? I would think so.
According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, John is certainly “Gravely disabled: may be shown by establishing that a person is incapable of making an informed medical decision and has behaved in such a manner as to indicate that he or she is unlikely, without supervision and the assistance of others, to satisfy his or her need for either nourishment, personal or medical care, shelter, or self-protection and safety so that it is probable that substantial bodily harm, significant psychiatric deterioration or debilitation, or serious illness will result unless adequate treatment is afforded.” (TAC, 2007) and based on the Treatment Advocacy Center’s proposed Model Law, which recommends eliminating the need for dangerousness to be considered before treatment can be provided against the will of the person who does not accept that they are ill.
I don’t know how we will deal with the issue of providing services to the mentally ill who are homeless, until we alter the current standards of treatment provision which usually only allow for involuntary treatment if someone is an imminent danger to themselves or others. Since that determination seems to vary widely, from perspective to perspective, and region to region, until we come to agreement about whether or not John is exercising his rights, or being tormented by his disease, how are we going to address the mental health of the homeless? It is hard enough to provide services for those people who are willing to accept treatment, and a huge enough financial burden, that my personal opinion is that our society doesn’t want to address the needs of the homeless we can’t see- we barely want to accept the responsibility for the needs of the people we see on a daily basis.
Almost every day I hear someone make a statement alluding to the fact that people with mental illness need more “choices” or have to accept the choices they have made. That in itself is such a bizarre statement, it leaves me almost (but not quite!) speechless. No one chooses to be mentally ill. They may make certain decisions based on their perception of their illness, or because of the illness itself, but I have yet to meet someone who was psychotic who had that listed as their lifelong goal.
Related Mental Health Articles
Bridging the Gap Between Community and Residential Mental Health Treatment
Article by Linda Rosenberg
For the past 20 years, especially since the introduction of system-of-care philosophy and practices, there have been tensions between community-based and residential treatment providers that serve children, youths, and families in need of mental health care. Community-based mental health providers have voiced concern that their residential treatment colleagues keep children too long and fail to demonstrate the effectiveness of their services. Residential treatment providers have asserted that their community-based colleagues do not collaboratively support their efforts, assist with discharge planning, or provide intensive service options as necessary follow-up. Families and youth have often expressed mixed reactions and opinions about both sets of mental health providers, asking that all providers become more family driven and youth guided and encouraging them to create a more integrated array of services.
In this climate, made all the more complex as systems vie for limited resources, a group of residential and community-based mental health treatment providers, policymakers, families, and youths, under the auspices of the Center for Mental Health Services, began a dialogue in the fall of 2005 to discuss ways to improve relationships and practice. The result was the initiative now known as “Building Bridges.”
From this dialogue, a group of national leaders in the field of children’s mental health participated in the first Building Bridges summit in June 2006. Inspired by compelling youth and family voices, summit participants drafted and signed a joint resolution of common principles and a shared commitment to a comprehensive, flexible, individualized, strength-based, family-driven, and youth-guided array of culturally and linguistically competent services and supports. More than 20 national mental health organizations and 19 agencies have since endorsed the joint resolution.
Building Bridges calls for restructuring the relationships among residential mental health treatment and community-based providers, families, and youths. The paradigm promotes shared responsibility and shared commitment, regardless of service needs or treatment setting. Accordingly, post-summit activities included identifying residential treatment programs and communities across the country that are implementing innovative practices consistent with the principles of the joint resolution, and seeking input from families and youth about what they consider effective practices.
Among the many promising practices embraced by Building Bridges, the use of child and families teams is fundamental. Teams use a wraparound process that gives treatment planning and service delivery a sense of purpose and accountability. CFTs bring together the expertise of residential treatment and community-based providers and capitalize on the strengths of youth and families as part of a long-term recovery-oriented plan.
Residential treatment programs and their community partners across the nation are improving their efforts to ensure that treatment is family driven and youth guided by implementing practices advocated by Building Bridges such as CFTs; hiring family and youth advocates; developing youth and family advisory councils; providing education and support to increase self-advocacy skills; integrating cultural and linguistic competence; and implementing trauma-informed care, thereby reducing the need for restraint and seclusion.
Advocates and policymakers are recognizing that residential treatment is part of the service array and that coordination and collaboration are essential to improving outcomes.
Below are some ways in which community and residential treatment providers can support the work of Building Bridges:
> Establish relationships and dialogue across all constituent groups, including families, youths, community-based mental health providers, residential treatment providers, advocates, and policymakers.
> Develop protocols and practices to make entry into residential treatment and the transition back to the community a seamless, supportive, and coordinated process.
> Support youths and families during their time in residential treatment programs with participation in community-based mental health programs and support services, thereby facilitating timely and smooth transitions home.
> Continue to implement trauma-informed, family driven, youth guided, culturally and linguistically competent and evidence-based practices.
> Support the development of and become active members of child and family teams.
> Convene meetings and dialogues among constituencies to promote conversations about Building Bridges.
In September 2007, a second summit reinforced the initiative and set an agenda to promote reform across the country. Several workgroups were created, and several products have been developed or are in development: a document on innovative best practices in linking community-based and residential treatment services, a matrix of performance guidelines and indicators, a self-assessment tool for residential treatment and community providers, family and youth “tip sheets,” and research to identify needed fiscal and policy reforms. Plans are underway to continue the important work of this initiative and bring the principles of Building Bridges to a national scale. By collaborating as partners, we can ensure that children, youths, and families thrive.
Related Mental Health Articles
Posted in Mental Health | between, Bridging, Community, Health, mental, Residential, Treatment | Leave a commentWhat Skills Do I Need to Be A Mental Health Nurse
Article by Daniel Grundon
Mental Health Nurses are called upon for a wide variety of tasks that require a specific set of skills. Not everyone is capable of meeting the demands of the position, but those that do are in high demand. Working as a mental health nurse can sometimes be challenging, but it offers the opportunity to help people in desperate need and fulfil one of the most important roles in British society. A high level of Personal skills is one of the most important set of abilities for a nurse working with sufferers of mental illness. They work with children, adults and the elderly with a wide variety of symptoms and care needs, providing essential care and support for people enduring the personal distress of mental health problems. Building a relationship with patients to encourage their trust in medical advice is critical to their chances of recovery and this can only be done by developing a personal relationship. Listening and talking to patients about their problems is often one of the most effective ways of helping the mentally ill recover. The nature of mental health illnesses means that often, nurses will need a degree of personal strength in their interactions with patients. Some patients may experience acute mental distress and may be unable to communicate the reason they are upset – they may even become aggressive. By responding in a non-threatening manner, nurses can help understand the reasons for distress and assist patients in overcoming their problems. Personal skills are also required for liaising with other medical professionals, be they doctors, occupational therapists or psychiatrists. Maintaining a good relationship with other people involved in the care of a patient can help ease workloads for everyone involved and ensure that patients are getting the best care possible. Having the patience to work with people outside of the medical industry, who may not understand the reasons behind patient behaviour or decisions over patient care is important. It also requires attention to detail. Nurses in both private and residential mental health services are responsible for ensuring that patients receive the correct medication for their conditions and for monitoring how effective the treatment is. Maintaining accurate patient records is key to ensuring that the best method of care is being followed to help patients. Nurses are also required to ensure that all of the correct legal requirements for their workplace or the patients in their care are being followed. Although working as a mental healthcare nurse carries a large amount of responsibility, it can be extremely rewarding. Helping people return to their normal lives as best as they can is literally a life saving accomplishment. Nurses are the frontline of healthcare and for many patients, their closest link to the path to recovery.