[humanser] question about blindness and the mental status exam

Wed Jul 13 23:31:50 UTC 2011

Oh my gosh, JD.  Sadly, his topic continues to come up, periodically. You 
would think that supervisors, professors and others would be able to grasp 
that there are many ways to approach a task such as metal status and other 
evaluations.
I have to say, this is one of the best answers I've seen yet.

Thanks,

Vicky Winslow, LMSW

-----Original Message----- 
From: JD TOWNSEND
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 10:30 AM
To: Human Services Mailing List ; melissa at riccobono.us
Subject: Re: [humanser] question about blindness and the mental status exam

Hi:

The Mental Status Exam:  good question and one that each of us might answer
a bit differently.

I do as many as 7 a day as there is one attached to each progress note that
I write, a more extensive one is on the Biopsychosocial.

There is one item on the exam that I am unsure of how to answer:  if they
look their age.  Other than that I just ask.  Some answers are surprising,
like the person who told me that they were wearing their pajamas.  More
times than usual a question gets a fuller answer than if a light dependent
person made an assumption:  for example for race, I ask the question and
sometimes get an answer like:  "My mom is Jewish and my dad is black.  What
does that make me?  A light dependent person would have assumed
African-American and not asked.  Likewise for appearance;  a teen asked for
his hair color might ask, "Today?"  An 8 year-old asked for his eye color
asked his mother.  What a lot of information we can obtain by asking rather
than by depending on vision.

I judge gait and motor activity by just listening to their footfalls in the
hallway, their tapping and movement in the office.  And, what a lot of
information you may find by asking about piercing and tattoos.  One sweet
female teen had dyed her pubic hair green and tattooed, "Do not walk on the
grass."

The light dependent don't know what they are missing.

Best of luck.

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

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Osmond Kwan" <osmond81 at gmail.com>
To: <melissa at riccobono.us>; "Human Services Mailing List"
<humanser at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 4:00 PM
Subject: [humanser] question about blindness and the mental status exam

> Thanks Melissa. I guess my question is for anyone who is in mental
> health or counseling also.
> My field instructor from my social work internship asked me a really
> good question. It is about the mental status exam which is a part of
> intake.
> How is it that we can assess physical appearance, motor activity, and
> physical expression? How do we document things that we are unable to
> see that the sighted can easily spot like weight, race, and
> appropriateness of dress?
>
> Thanks,
> Osmond
>
>
> On 7/11/11, Melissa Ann Riccobono <melissa at riccobono.us> wrote:
>> Hello JD and Osmon,
>> Osmon, you are subscribed to the Human Services list as far as I can 
>> tell...
>> Please feel free to ask questions!
>> Melissa
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of JD TOWNSEND
>> Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 3:56 PM
>> To: Human Services Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [humanser] question about screen reader
>> andagency-recordsoftware
>>
>>
>> Hello:
>>
>> The NFB Human Services Division is made up of many social workers, most 
>> of
>> the Board and many of the members.  Subscribing is simple from the NFB 
>> site.
>>
>> Why not join the list and introduce yourself?
>>
>>
>> JD Townsend, LCSW
>> Daytona Beach, Florida, Earth, Sol System
>> Helping the light dependent to see.
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Osmond Kwan" <osmond81 at gmail.com>
>> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 12:49 PM
>> Subject: Re: [humanser] question about screen reader
>> andagency-recordsoftware
>>
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I have about six weeks left in my summer placement and I am not sure
>>> if having a script written would be the best option considering the
>>> time element. Something to consider for after.
>>>
>>> Is there a separate list for social workers? That would be great. I am
>>> currently a finishing first-year MSW student. I have a couple of
>>> questions already from my internship to ask about being blind in the
>>> field of social work.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Osmond
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 7/9/11, JD TOWNSEND <43210 at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi:
>>>>
>>>> I work in a hospital and have two databases that Window-Eyes and JFW
>>>> cannot
>>>> read without help.  In the most parts of the USA the state's blind
>>>> services
>>>> will send a person to your work site and write a script for your 
>>>> program
>>>> with WE or JFW.  In my case it took about 2.5 hours and was fairly
>>>> painless.
>>>> The good news is that both patient information programs are now 
>>>> useable;
>>>> not without certain glitches, but with generally good results.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> It may be helpful to join the NFB Human Services Division list where
>>>> social
>>>> workers communicate.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> JD Townsend, LCSW
>>>> Daytona Beach, Florida, Earth, Sol System
>>>> Helping the light dependent to see.
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Osmond Kwan" <osmond81 at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 9:23 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [humanser] question about screen reader and
>>>> agency-recordsoftware
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Thanks for the responses.
>>>>>
>>>>> The program is called Allscripts. It is an electronic record system.
>>>>> Has anyone heard of it or used it?
>>>>>
>>>>> I am not sure how long it takes to write a JAWS script. This is a
>>>>> summer placement that goes until mid-August. If it takes a while to
>>>>> write the script, it might not be worth it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> Osmond
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 7/7/11, Yvonne <yvonne625 at verizon.net> wrote:
>>>>>> You could also call Freedom Scientific to find out if they have a 
>>>>>> work
>>>>>> around or can do something to help.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org 
>>>>>> [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>>>>> On
>>>>>> Behalf Of quinto
>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 4:08 PM
>>>>>> To: Human Services Mailing List
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [humanser] question about screne reader and 
>>>>>> agency-record
>>>>>> software
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yes Osmond, that is the most difficult part of this work finding ways
>>>>>> around
>>>>>>
>>>>>> all those things you mentioned. I too am an intern and have come 
>>>>>> across
>>>>>> those issues. I know there is one other screen reader out there that 
>>>>>> is
>>>>>> widely used but, can't remember the name of it. however, most likely 
>>>>>> it
>>>>>> won't work either. If your working with a state agency that is 
>>>>>> helping
>>>>>> you
>>>>>> with all your vocational training then maybe they can hire a person 
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> write
>>>>>>
>>>>>> JAWS scripts for that particular software but, they might not want to
>>>>>> unless
>>>>>>
>>>>>> it is very likely that internship would turn into a permanent 
>>>>>> position
>>>>>> because it is very expensive to have someone write scripts. something
>>>>>> else -
>>>>>>
>>>>>> is try to adapt the forms into a word doc. If that agency has
>>>>>> volunteers
>>>>>> then ask if you could use one to personally assist you. If you have 
>>>>>> any
>>>>>> speciffic situation or circumstance that you have a question about 
>>>>>> then
>>>>>> post
>>>>>>
>>>>>> it and I'm sure we'll be able to comment more specifficly.
>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>> From: "Osmond Kwan" <osmond81 at gmail.com>
>>>>>> To: <davidandloristayer at verizon.net>; "Human Services Mailing List"
>>>>>> <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 11:37 AM
>>>>>> Subject: [humanser] question about screne reader and agency-record
>>>>>> software
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Dear All,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am not too sure where to direct this question but I imagine there
>>>>>>> might be someone here who has come across this issue.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I just began a social work internship and found out that the agency
>>>>>>> uses a program for client records. This is where staff can view such
>>>>>>> things as intakes.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Apparently, once the program is launched, Window-eyes cannot read a
>>>>>>> thing. There is a pull-down menu, and I have enough sight to know 
>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>> there are items listed but I cannot read any of it. Thinking I might
>>>>>>> have some luck with JAWS, I downloaded the demo for version 12 and
>>>>>>> JAWS also does not read while in the program. Windows narrator also
>>>>>>> has the same problem.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Are there other screne readers on the market?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> One of my biggest concerns with working in the human services is 
>>>>>>> being
>>>>>>> able to read and fill out intakes, charts, and records. If the
>>>>>>> information is hand written, I cannot read it. If it is electronic, 
>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>> have a chance. It appears with this program, Window-eyes and JAWS do
>>>>>>> not work. So, how do we as blind individuals in the human services
>>>>>>> handle the paperwork, assessment, client records part of the job?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>> Osmond
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> humanser mailing list
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
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