Seven months ago I never thought I would still be here, finishing up my practicum materials. After having been at Cummins for so long I was nostalgic the last few days that I worked. Even though I know I am welcome to go back any time I want just to say hi, I was still walking around all day saying to myself "This is the last time I'll ...". It was the last time I would make lunch, or run group, or keep the consumers from arguing. The last time I would run to help Pam, or the last time I would learn something from Pam. I felt closer to Pam the entire time I was there than anyone else I worked with. Pam had just recently finished college as well and could relate to what I was going through. She actually acted as though she needed me, and was always happy when I was there to work.
After having ran group so many times in the past six months, it did not upset me at all that the last few days Amanda suggested I work on my learning plan instead of doing group activities. That was just less time I had to work on it at home. It also made it easier to keep up with blogs, and other items that often needed Cummins' information that I could only get from there. So my last days were spent at the desk, working on the learning plan and meeting with Amanda to be sure we had everything needed. I was surprised at how much of a role Amanda took to aid me with my learning plan. She had many materials for every item, even adding extras just in case 1-2 was not enough. Even though it was my responsibility she made sure I had everything, and helped with the things I did not have.
I knew the consumers would be sad to see me go, but that is how it always is when we end things in our lives. At least it was done on a good note, with the invitation to come back any time. This has been an unexpected, yet wonderful experience the whole way. And as everyone always says, I know I will remember my first practicum...all 320 hours of it!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Consumer Advisory Board
Cummins Mental Health Center maintains a Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) whose mission is to “establish an alliance among persons served, staff, and Cummins’ Board of Directors that results in meaningful input into policy development, decision-making, and organizational planning”. This board officially seats seven members, although not all of them are actually consumers. The board can be mixed of consumers, staff, family members, or anyone else who works towards the board’s five goals.
These goals include advocating for people affected by mental health or substance abuse disorders, assisting the staff by focusing on treatment and growth, helping consumers remove any complications keeping them from employment, education, and their goals, helping identify resources, aiding in planning, evaluation, and decision-making for the program.
These goals include advocating for people affected by mental health or substance abuse disorders, assisting the staff by focusing on treatment and growth, helping consumers remove any complications keeping them from employment, education, and their goals, helping identify resources, aiding in planning, evaluation, and decision-making for the program.
Cummins' value statement reflection
Cummins Mental Health Center’s value statement is one unlike many others in that it boasts a Mission Statement, Vision Statement, and a Values Statement. The main mission of Cummins is to promote recovery and enhance quality of life through the means of behavioral health services. This means they wish to not only help consumers recover and get better from whatever brings them to Cummins, but they wish to go a step further by making consumers’ lives better than when they first came to Cummins.
Cummins maintains a vision statement similar to its mission statement with a few additions. This says communities WILL be stigma free and has visions to positively influence through leadership, advocacy, and practice. Obviously the most important of the values, respect for the dignity and worth of individuals is ranked first under Cummins’ value statement. Other values listed include responsiveness, partnership, exceeding expectations, diversity, trust, integrity, best practices, the hope of recovery, and continuous learning. These values are based on the notion that all Cummins staff will be welcoming to all consumers, no matter how unique or different than others. They will work to meet the needs of consumers and go above and beyond just their expectations, while at the same time sticking to their ethical standards and commitment to excellence.
Cummins maintains a vision statement similar to its mission statement with a few additions. This says communities WILL be stigma free and has visions to positively influence through leadership, advocacy, and practice. Obviously the most important of the values, respect for the dignity and worth of individuals is ranked first under Cummins’ value statement. Other values listed include responsiveness, partnership, exceeding expectations, diversity, trust, integrity, best practices, the hope of recovery, and continuous learning. These values are based on the notion that all Cummins staff will be welcoming to all consumers, no matter how unique or different than others. They will work to meet the needs of consumers and go above and beyond just their expectations, while at the same time sticking to their ethical standards and commitment to excellence.
Monday, July 28, 2008
6-29-08
6-29-08
I did not work at Cummins this day; however, I did work at home for several hours on Learning Plan activities. I have never been a very organized person, and it obviously shows. I know this unorganized habit of mine is rubbing off in other areas of my life and negatively affecting many things- that and my other horrible habit of procrastinating on everything. I know the one thing I need to do to be able to greatly improve myself and my life is to find a way to overcome these two terrible habits. In the mean time, I spent several hours sorting through 6 months worth of papers, pamphlets, and handouts that I used at some time or another while working at Cummins. Some were articles Amanda gave to me to read thinking they would be useful for my learning plan, some were items I picked up, found, or collected throughout the semester that I knew would be useful (for example the papers and handouts from LEAD), and most were the handouts and papers I used while leading group. All of this was one of the reasons I tried to make sure I finished my actual working hours earlier in the month (as you suggested Erika) so that I would have the last few weeks in the month to finish everything in the learning plan.
I also worked on the donation letter I need to write to try to get donations for Hoosier House. Amanda gave me the tax exempt forms to use and Cummins’ value and mission statements to add to the letter. This is definitely a new experience for me and I want to be sure I do it correctly. I also worked on Cummins’ value statement to write my reflection of what it means. There are a lot of items I need to write about for my learning plan, and I know I need the extra time to get it all done in time, so as not to get behind like I did the last time.
I did not work at Cummins this day; however, I did work at home for several hours on Learning Plan activities. I have never been a very organized person, and it obviously shows. I know this unorganized habit of mine is rubbing off in other areas of my life and negatively affecting many things- that and my other horrible habit of procrastinating on everything. I know the one thing I need to do to be able to greatly improve myself and my life is to find a way to overcome these two terrible habits. In the mean time, I spent several hours sorting through 6 months worth of papers, pamphlets, and handouts that I used at some time or another while working at Cummins. Some were articles Amanda gave to me to read thinking they would be useful for my learning plan, some were items I picked up, found, or collected throughout the semester that I knew would be useful (for example the papers and handouts from LEAD), and most were the handouts and papers I used while leading group. All of this was one of the reasons I tried to make sure I finished my actual working hours earlier in the month (as you suggested Erika) so that I would have the last few weeks in the month to finish everything in the learning plan.
I also worked on the donation letter I need to write to try to get donations for Hoosier House. Amanda gave me the tax exempt forms to use and Cummins’ value and mission statements to add to the letter. This is definitely a new experience for me and I want to be sure I do it correctly. I also worked on Cummins’ value statement to write my reflection of what it means. There are a lot of items I need to write about for my learning plan, and I know I need the extra time to get it all done in time, so as not to get behind like I did the last time.
Week 3 integration question
Week 3:
Policy/macro: What Indiana Bills & Resolutions for the Spring 08 Legislative Session are of interest to you personally? What Indiana Bills & Resolutions are of interest to you professionally? Describe their significance to you, your agency, & your clients.
Many of my personal interests are the same as my professional interests since I hope to work professionally in a field that has personal interest to me. Welfare, criminal justice, and mental illness are all topics I am deeply interested in, and therefore follow more closely. Indiana Senate Bill 350 was introduced to provide for funding for community mental health centers- that of something that interests me personally, and also relates to my current practicum employment at Cummins Mental Health Center.
Indiana House Bill 1313 relates to inmate employment counseling and searches. This is more of a personal interest, although I hope one day to work with inmates, at which time may determine this to be a professional interest as well if passed. Many inmates, upon release, have no plans in place to find suitable housing, let alone suitable employment. Inmates are released with only their personal property, often not gaining any insightful education or locating useful resources. This bill would allow for inmates to begin searches, through means of (monitored) internet access, to find employment 90 days prior to their release date. I personally believe this would be a great benefit to inmates so they may be gainfully employed upon release, and not fall prey to their old ways of survival.
Policy/macro: What Indiana Bills & Resolutions for the Spring 08 Legislative Session are of interest to you personally? What Indiana Bills & Resolutions are of interest to you professionally? Describe their significance to you, your agency, & your clients.
Many of my personal interests are the same as my professional interests since I hope to work professionally in a field that has personal interest to me. Welfare, criminal justice, and mental illness are all topics I am deeply interested in, and therefore follow more closely. Indiana Senate Bill 350 was introduced to provide for funding for community mental health centers- that of something that interests me personally, and also relates to my current practicum employment at Cummins Mental Health Center.
Indiana House Bill 1313 relates to inmate employment counseling and searches. This is more of a personal interest, although I hope one day to work with inmates, at which time may determine this to be a professional interest as well if passed. Many inmates, upon release, have no plans in place to find suitable housing, let alone suitable employment. Inmates are released with only their personal property, often not gaining any insightful education or locating useful resources. This bill would allow for inmates to begin searches, through means of (monitored) internet access, to find employment 90 days prior to their release date. I personally believe this would be a great benefit to inmates so they may be gainfully employed upon release, and not fall prey to their old ways of survival.
Week 12 Integration Question
Week 12:
HBSE/Macro: How can you determine what the formal and informal boundaries are in a community?
First I could research cultural differences to find out what is and is not appropriate. Many smaller communities have their own newspapers, often containing more items than what larger news organizations write about, such as events and small happenings. Just going out in the community could prove valuable as well by staying attentive to what others are wearing, their behaviors, manners, and other subtle signs.
Also, I could look for training on what is and is not appropriate, and search out stigma words. I can look for events going on in the local community. For example, they may have a day of the week that is a sacred day or certain days that may be celebrated for some reason.
HBSE/Macro: How can you determine what the formal and informal boundaries are in a community?
First I could research cultural differences to find out what is and is not appropriate. Many smaller communities have their own newspapers, often containing more items than what larger news organizations write about, such as events and small happenings. Just going out in the community could prove valuable as well by staying attentive to what others are wearing, their behaviors, manners, and other subtle signs.
Also, I could look for training on what is and is not appropriate, and search out stigma words. I can look for events going on in the local community. For example, they may have a day of the week that is a sacred day or certain days that may be celebrated for some reason.
Week 15 Integration Question
Week 15:
Practice/micro: How have you experienced successful endings? What do you already do now to help your clients experience successful endings?
In this, endings could be qualified as any ending with a client, whether it is the end of the day, end of treatment, or end of a medication. The most important ending though is the ending of treatment with a client. In this regard, here at Cummins we do not encounter as many endings as most other facilities since most of our clients are here for extended periods of time for treatment, some lasting several decades. For those who do end their treatment, many just move along to other programs that may be able to serve them better, such as the ACT team.
Cummins has procedures they use for all endings with their consumers. During discharge they utilize a discharge summary that has a plan they are supposed to follow for months after they leave. Some items may include a follow up with doc or meds, or to start other programs. They also make another treatment plan at discharge and help clients contact agencies or whatever else they need to follow up and be successful with the new treatment plan. Prior to their discharge (or ending) workers help the consumers learn coping skills or aid in beginning recovery for when they leave the program. Consumers can then become successful with medication and a better life style than when they originally sought out treatment.
Practice/micro: How have you experienced successful endings? What do you already do now to help your clients experience successful endings?
In this, endings could be qualified as any ending with a client, whether it is the end of the day, end of treatment, or end of a medication. The most important ending though is the ending of treatment with a client. In this regard, here at Cummins we do not encounter as many endings as most other facilities since most of our clients are here for extended periods of time for treatment, some lasting several decades. For those who do end their treatment, many just move along to other programs that may be able to serve them better, such as the ACT team.
Cummins has procedures they use for all endings with their consumers. During discharge they utilize a discharge summary that has a plan they are supposed to follow for months after they leave. Some items may include a follow up with doc or meds, or to start other programs. They also make another treatment plan at discharge and help clients contact agencies or whatever else they need to follow up and be successful with the new treatment plan. Prior to their discharge (or ending) workers help the consumers learn coping skills or aid in beginning recovery for when they leave the program. Consumers can then become successful with medication and a better life style than when they originally sought out treatment.
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