[humanser] Question for professionals who worked/are working with addicts.

Sun Jul 3 00:16:35 UTC 2016

Hi, 
Treat the clients as the adults they are, even when they display immature behaviors. Be aware that you will encounter lies sooner than truth. Lying is a common habit for the population. In my experience, taking the non-authoritative approach while still demanding respect seem to knock down that resistance of authority factor. The population is more open to share if you share; but you want to avoid giving any information that can later be used by the clients. I always use my blindness as my sharing info. It's a topic I'm sincere about, but also comfortable telling anyone about. It's a way to connect with the clients, as well as an opportunity to share a little blind awareness knowledge. However, I do keep it vague about the level /amount of sight. Also, be upfront and not shy about addressing defense mechanisms: they will come up quite often. I hope this info will be of help to you. And best wishes!!!

> On Jul 1, 2016, at 2:45 PM, Kaiti Shelton via Humanser <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I know it is the busiest time of year with convention in full swing,
> but I wanted to ask this question now rather than wait till later as
> it pertains to school in the fall.  Regretably I was not able to pay
> my way to convention this year either, so email rather than the more
> ideal route of in-person interaction on this will have to suffice.
> 
> I'm going into my second to last practicum (Yay) and as I still need
> to fulfill the American Music Therapy Associations requirement for
> mental health experience, I have been assigned to go to an acute
> behavioral health facility.  I'll be working with a partner on a
> residential unit for women with comorbid mental health disorders and
> addictions.  Heroine is the most common drug of choice for both women
> and the men at this facility, and I'm doing all the reading I can on
> music therapy in mental health care, mental health in general, the
> psychology of addiction, etc.  I have also looked up information on
> trauma theory, chaos theory, sexual violence, domestic abuse, and
> other factors that I know some of the women in past groups have
> faced/could be factors in the addictions for these women I will be
> working with.  However, I have not found anything describing a blind
> individual working with this population and would like to prepare for
> it as much as possible.
> 
> I know some safety considerations were taken into account, and my
> professors felt that having me work with the women might be safer as
> the men's group can be a bit rougher for women.  Sometimes in anger
> things are thrown, for example.  I know in recent years I have
> expressed concerns relating to my own countertransference issues when
> starting with new groups, but after having two fantastic practicum
> experiences last school year I am not so much concerned with that as I
> am with the unknowns of this population and how they might need to be
> approached differently.  This is the practicum that often challenges
> students the most in terms of counseling skills and understanding when
> defense mechanisms etc are being used, and I want to be sure I take
> any information I can get into account as I go into this practicum
> experience.  I already realize that after working with elderly adults
> on a dementia care unit of a nursing home a while ago, an individual
> with Down Syndrome in the fall, and with a class of children with
> Autism this past spring that this is going to be a huge adjustment,
> not just in the age group but also in that I've never worked with
> clients who are more highly cognitively aware and therefore in some
> ways more psychologically complex before.  I'd be interested to hear
> from anyone who has worked with recovering addicts to know if there
> were any techniques or approaches you used that are different from
> your work with other populations.  I'd especially be interested in
> hearing from those of you who might have experience in acute treatment
> facilities, as I know there is a huge turn-over rate in group members
> throughout the semester for this placement.  Right now I just feel
> like I don't know what I don't know, so any input would be
> appreciated.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> -- 
> Kaiti Shelton
> University of Dayton-Music Therapy
> President, Ohio Association of Blind Students 2013-Present
> Secretary, The National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts
> Division 2015-2016
> 
> "You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back!"
> 
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