[humanser] SPMI

[JD TOWNSEND]

Thank you!  Severe & Persistent Mental Illness.  What a mouth-full.

I have worked with this population for years both in hospital and outside in 
the community.  Safety is a matter of good observation skills, verbal 
desculation skills and using good clinical judgment.  I have put many 
patients in the psychiatric hospital under involuntary status, visited the 
violent wards in some of New York City's larger hospitals, and never been in 
physical danger - but I did get called a, "Blind Bitch!" and as a male I 
found that a little offensive.

The problem is not in if we can do the job safely, but in how we present 
ourselves as able to deal with these complex, disordered people.  I believe 
that by telling stories of how we have handled certain situations, perhaps 
averting challenges, we can best show these supervisors that we have the 
skills to deal with situations.  I recall one big teenager who was acting 
angry and frightened in a program who ran away.  He was cornered by staff 
and it looked as if we were going to have to "take him down" when I asked 
him if he would be my sighted guide and help me to the "quiet room" and he 
did.  In another incident another teen threw a chair through a window, 
breaking it.  I got the other patients out of the room and escorted the 
young man to a safer place by not making a big deal over his actions.  On 
the other hand I've seen a 6 foot young police officer taken down by a 
psychotic 90 pound 60 year old and have to call for back-up.  That was a 
case where the police officer didn't believe that the involuntary 
hospitalization paperwork was needed for that "Nice old lady."


JD Townsend, LCSW
Daytona Beach, Florida, Earth, Sol System
Helping the light dependent to see.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "leslie penko" <leslie_penko at yahoo.com>
To: <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 3:47 PM
Subject: Re: [humanser] SPMI


Hello Mary,

I too had some issues applying for my internship and had the supervisor at 
the VA convinced that I would not stay safe with patients with SPMI which 
stands for Severe (or serious) and persistant mental illness. I ended up 
taking an internship on an inpatient psychiatric unit with a supervisor that 
really didn't seem to be very concerned that I wouldn't be able to see the 
patients' actions as I often took them out into open areas to interview them 
anyways. Just make sure to remain confident and stay safe by common-sense 
personal safety measures. I always checked in with nurses before 
interviewing a patient to make sure that they were not agitated or volatol 
and it was safe at that time for me to speak with them.

Good luck,
Leslie



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