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My name is Nicole Lindsey.

I am currently in my first semester of the Mental Health and Wellness Graduate Program. I plan to
become a Licensed Professional Counselor to assist all ages with grief and traumatic experiences. My goal
for this class is to understand how traumatic experiences can affect a person's cognitive abilities and ways to cope with trauma. My professional goal: I would like to specialize in that area and learn different strategies and techniques to help each individual. Personal Goal: When my daughter was little; maybe in her teens, she created a bucket list with her dad. I never knew she created this bucket list until she passed away. My goal is to check off all her bucket lists items for her to honor what she never got to do.

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I feel that most of the code of ethics apply to my role as a trauma and grief counselor. Specifically, section B (confidentiality and privacy) and section C (knowledge of compliance and standards). I believe the client needs to feel they can trust you before they will disclose any information to you. Aa a counselor, you cannot do your job without the trust of the client and respecting their right to privacy. Also, if I plan to specialize in grief and trauma, it is important to be competent in the area that is being specialized. These ethical codes are critical in the field of counseling to ensure the upmost professionalism and integrity of the field.

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Unit 1 Section 1: Introductions and Assessing Prior Knowledge

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Unit 1 Section 1: Introductions and Assessing Prior Knowledge

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In unit one, I read through the all the statistics which validated the need for more mental health professionals in the field. The rate of people in dire need of mental health help has only increased and continues to increase. I had the opportunity to meet other classmates looking to work in the mental health and wellness field. I was surprised by the various levels and experiences we all had, and I hope to collaborate and learn from each of them moving through my academic career.

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Welcome! ACA's Career Central offers a comprehensive new digital job board; helpful career resources and services; and several additional features designed to maximize your efforts. We know your time is precious. Stay connected with streamlined content and one-of-a-kind career insights only available through Career Central!

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Please contact Danielle Irving. It's helpful to include your name, home state, and a contact phone number. Please let us know if you are an ACA member.

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Welcome! ACA's Career Central offers a comprehensive new digital job board; helpful career resources and services; and several additional features designed to maximize your efforts. We know your time is precious. Stay connected with streamlined content and one-of-a-kind career insights only available through Career Central!

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Section 2 Unit 1: Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders

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Section 2 Unit 1: Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders

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I enjoyed this particular section and researching the different types of mental health disorders. I felt like this section gave me an insight to the different types of disorders and how to differentiate between them. One disorder I thought was interesting is Bulimia Nervosa, because after researching the different types of eating disorders, I realized I suffered from that disorder in my late 20s and early 30s. I also liked the spreadsheet format for the reference guide. It is a tool that can be used to easily identify disorders in an organized manner.

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Section 3 Unit 2: Developmental Discussion on Trauma

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Section 3 Unit 2: Developmental Discussion on Trauma

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I really enjoyed the developmental discussion on trauma and including a documentary along with the discussion. There were several documentaries I had never heard of before, which I plan to go through the list provided and watch some of the options listed in our assignment folder. In my original post for the developmental discussion, I used a book I have been reading for a book study with Region 15 to guide my post. The book delves into how the brain takes in trauma and the way it affects a person's brain.

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Section 4 Unit 3: Psychological First Aid (PFA)

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Section 4 Unit 3: Psychological First Aid (PFA)

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I enjoyed this interactive training course to demonstrate how Psychological First Aid can help when disasters occur with the right kind of training. PFA essentially helps to lessen the stress symptoms and aids in recovering in a healthy way after a traumatic event, natural disaster, and public health emergency. I also found grounding an easy on the go strategy that anyone can utilize in a situation of disaster.

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Training Resource for PFA

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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

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Includes a 6-hour interactive course that puts the participant in the role of a provider in a post-disaster scene. This course is for individuals new to disaster response who want to learn the core goals of PFA, as well as for seasoned practitioners who want a review. It features innovative activities, video demonstrations, and mentor tips from the nation's trauma experts and survivors. PFA online also offers a Learning Community where participants can share about experiences using PFA in the field, receive guidance during times of disaster, and obtain additional resources and training.

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Includes a 6-hour interactive course that puts the participant in the role of a provider in a post-disaster scene. This course is for individuals new to disaster response who want to learn the core goals of PFA, as well as for seasoned practitioners who want a review.

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Understanding and applying how to create a crisis prevention plan was my favorite activity in the course. Crisis Prevention Plans are required in within schools-especially in the light of school shootings and the growing number of children being trafficked in the US. Having a plan in place to help victims connect with resources and counselors to talk to in order to process the events.

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A local chapter branch from TCA. Great resources and staying in touch with the community. https://www.txca.org/trca/

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TCA is a community of counseling professionals who join in membership to stay informed with resources, education/training, and community building the state of Texas. About - Texas Counseling Association (txca.org)

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MHMR of the Concho Valley: MHMR Concho Valley – Mental Health and Wellness Information at MHMR Concho Valley (mhmrcv.org)

River Crest Hospital: Behavioral Health Center | San Angelo, TX (rivercresthospital.com)

Children's Advocacy Center: Children’s Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas, Inc. – Our mission is to ensure EVERY CHILD in our community has a safe and nurturing home. (cacgreaterwtx.org)

Family Shelter of San Angelo: familysheltersa.org

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services: Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) - San Angelo Office - Mental Health TX

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Sometimes it takes a village to help an individual. Through the networking of other agencies or providers, a counselor may want to refer a client out to a professional who has more experience in that field. The clients' needs should guide the referral process. Also, make sure the referral is client-focused and they understand how being referred to another professional is not a bad thing, but to help them meet their goals.

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Adopting a holistic view of clients in substance abuse treatment is especially important for any service provider making referrals to other providers or agencies. At the point of referral, there is both an opportunity to address a client's unmet needs and a potential danger of losing the client. Collaboration is crucial for preventing clients from "falling through the cracks" among independent and autonomous agencies. Effective collaboration is also the key to serving the client in the broadest possible context, beyond the boundaries of the substance abuse treatment agency and provider.

This chapter explores the elements of integrated services using a community-collaborative model. This model is based on an agency's ability to make effective referrals within a network of numerous agencies, including vocational services, serving common clients. Only when these service providers are truly interconnected can they work together toward the common goal of successful client outcomes. The phrase authentically connected has been coined to describe an integrated network in which agencies function as equal players with each other and with the client to identify and address the complex interplay of needs that is typical of clients with substance abuse disorders.

Collaboration as the Cornerstone of Effective Referral

When the many agencies that work with clients who have substance abuse disorders work independently of each other, the result is that the client is subject to fragmented services, none of which might address the client as a whole person. One of the biggest challenges to any collaborative or network-based model occurs when each of numerous agencies wants to use a different assessment tool to gather the same information. At best, this produces a fragmented portrait of the client; at worst, it creates frustration and confusion for the client, who may drop out of treatment as a result.

A shared vision among potential collaborators facilitates strategies to achieve common goals ( Nelson et al., 1999). The biggest benefit of collaboration among health agencies is the improved health of clients and therefore of the community. One study found that health is dependent on how people perceive the quality of their community. Leadership and vision among collaborative agencies can make a difference in the quality of a community health care system and in the cost-effectiveness of the care provided ( Molinari et al., 1998).

Collaboration among agencies is the key to preventing fragmentation. In addition to reducing the likelihood of clients falling through the cracks between disparate and unconnected agencies, collaboration can foster a more holistic view of the client. Sometimes just a simple change of perspective can make the difference between circumstances being viewed as "needs" and being viewed as assets. For example, a single parent who cannot find a babysitter on a particular evening misses a treatment session. This client is then labeled "noncompliant" by one treatment provider, but another provider who focuses on child care and parenting skills recognizes the client's adherence to her parental responsibility as a positive asset. With effective collaboration, service providers will learn to recognize these differing viewpoints through their contact with professionals with expertise in different areas.

Another approach to prevent fragmentation is to designate one agency as the primary contact both for the client and for the other agencies. The primary agency provides a holistic assessment that accompanies the client throughout the referral process. The assessment must be comprehensive enough to satisfy all the agencies and organizations participating in the client's care and might include medical/psychiatric history and conditions, substance use patterns, work history, housing situation, physical/sexual abuse history, involvement in family violence and the criminal justice system, and other data about the client. In addition to decreasing paperwork and minimizing fragmentation, this process could help to strengthen linkages and communication among various agencies providing different services.

Authentically Connected Referral Networks

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Chapter 5-Effective Referrals and Collaborations

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Adopting a holistic view of clients in substance abuse treatment is especially important for any service provider making referrals to other providers or agencies. At the point of referral, there is both an opportunity to address a client's unmet needs and a potential danger of losing the client.