Case Management

I love how I am able to be given the responsibility as a Case Manager of 15 at the clinic. That makes me their “to go” person, ranging from needing to go to the dentist, to a trigger leading them to a psychotic break. One of my ladies, Kris, grew up in Hollywood, to has a work history of modeling, acting, and got into the production side of entertainment. She came to me and asked if we could set up a meeting, I was more than happy to have to make an appointment and with the urgent request, we were able to meet later that afternoon. She had the simple request if I would help her to find an eye doctor who would take low income participants. Seems straight forward and a task I could do for her, but there was a catch. Kris was involved in a gang rape on the street of Hollywood, a date rape with someone she knew, like that was not enough, another rape from an unknown unfound man. With the trauma and the unfortunate psychological side effects, for her to leave the house, she shivers in fear and has crying spells to the overwhelming fear of being approached on the street to be harmed. She hardly comes to the Wellness Centers functions, but when she does make it, knowing how hard it is for her to, I want to bring out a cake and disco ball to celebrate. Regardless of how proud I am of her in her efforts, she, with tears streaming down her face she cannot express enough how much she HATEs leaving her comfort, HATES herself, and HATES what has happened to her out of her control. As a case manager, I’m going to do all that I can to help her get her needs met, but I can not change what has happened to her and how she feels now. She is so precious, and the evil world has made her crumble. I left that meeting just wanting to pass out lolly pops to children and give smiles and hugs to adults. Everyone deserves to feel loved.

Pain in Hopes of Success

Johnny is a client at Pacific Clinics, who runs his own group called “Car Care.” He loves working with cars, and lending a hand to anyone. He is a member of my Healthy Living Skills group attending and contributing every week. A few days ago, he came to group rating his mood at a 7, stating he was happy to be here. He also shared that another member at the clinic was mad at him for not giving him a ride to an appointment. Johnny would have missed a group and knew that was not something he wanted to do. So in making a stand and a voice for himself he said no. The friend was quite upset, and called Johnny a “bad friend.” This was enough for him to have a psychotic break that night. The words “bad friend” and the combination of not taking his medication correctly, was enough to ignite his post traumatic stress disorder to when he was sexually abused as a child seeing vivid images, along with harsh voices and hallucinations in telling him he was “bad” “dirty” and “worthless.” As he took a razor to his penis to cut off the part of him “making him dirty” he stopped due to the pain, and took his medication to “take it all away.” Thank God he made it through the night, and to the clinic the next day. With the caring staff of Pacific Clinics, I was a part of my first 5150; a suicidal 72 hour hold in hospitalization; watching Johnny be restricted by the ambulance staff, and driven off to an open bed waiting for him was not easy. I know I will not be seeing Johnny for awhile, he will be in a more intensive care for awhile, but I did learn a lot from him. I have high hopes for his upcoming recovery, and a new appreciation for each day I am given.

First One on One Client Assessment

As a Case Manager of 13 in my first week, I was a little anxious by the responsibility. After spending hours reading, understanding, and getting to know each person's need, diagnosis, and a bit about their past, I needed to make sure there Annual Assessment was up to date. Easy! Then came the nerve racking Assessment. To keep confidentiality the names are changed but the situations are a summery of what happened. I want to tell you a story about Alyson, my first individual assessment.

Alyson is living with her parents at the age of 26, just having her birthday. She is diagnoses with schizphrenia paranoid tyep (295.30). Symptions include delustions, hallucinations, disturbances in mood, speach, and perceptions. One of the sweetest members of the Center, she helped me wiht my nervousness being very forgiving of me wiht my undeveloped skills and awkward flow of the questions. Regardless, towards the end, when I was documenting some current symptoms she said, "God gives me messages and I write them down," To be honest I instantly thought this is going to get really interesting and a bit loony, so I asked more. She is currently on her 14th journal form the daily communicatiosn she experiences with "God." I couldnt help but ask after questioning if she showed anyone these verbal messages written down, "So what does He say?" I was expecting somehting alarming, unnatural, and untrue. But God does give messages to Alyson every day. To a middle age woman who is unable to perform daily tasks that we take for granted, who cannot stop the negative false voices and illusions, and a women who's self esteem is so low, when even said Hi to, would burst out of the room crying in fear and defeat, has come a long way, I think becuse of these messages. She told me, "Every day He tells me, 'Good job Alyson. You did great today, ALyson. Alyson, I love you. "

A little bit of Why..

As of now, I am a 21 year old student at Azusa Pacific approaching my completion of my Bachelor in Social Work. It has been a journey till this point and I am confident it has been in Gods will that I am here. In September of 2010 I was assigned to my internship at Pacific Clinics, working with the adult population who have a severe and persistent mental illness. I was very timid in working with this population at first but now being two months in, I have found myself loving every moment of the 9 hours straight i spend there on Tuesday and Thursday. being in this profession has me happy, some times in tears of joy as well as tears of sorrow. But in the ups and downs I have so much to be thankful for and the determination to do what I can now as well as my future. My futuristic goals is to achieve my Masters degree with the possibility of achieving my clinical hours to become a LCSW; Licensed Clinical Social Worker. All in all, one day will end and another will start; i do not want to waste them, they seem to vanish. This is my attempt to remember them.