Living Facility Training for Limited Mental Health Licensure

1. Living Facility Training for Limited Mental Health Licensure In collaboration with Department of Mental Health Law and Policy Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute University of South Florida In collaboration with Department of Mental Health Law and Policy Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute University of South Florida

2. Florida’sPlanning Council Advocacy + Effective Planning Councils= Quality Services

3. Housekeeping Please remember to silence your cell phones, and please refrain from texting or checking your phone excessively.

4. Agenda [Welcome] Major Diagnosis of Mental Illnesses [Break] Psychotropic Medications and Side Effects [Lunch] Legal and Ethical Issues Basic Behavior Management Techniques [Break] Communicating Effectively with Residents Crisis Intervention Techniques Trauma Informed Care

5. Stigma A mental illness can strike anyone.Our brains are also vulnerable to disease. Stigma is the cause of most intolerance towards people who have a mental illness. People with a mental illnesses say lack of acceptance is the biggest problem they face.

6. Story and Case History What thoughts and feelings did you experience while I read this case? Do you think the illness was reason enough for people to react so differently toward you? Did you know that this scenario happens to thousands of Americans who have been diagnosed with a mental illness?

7. Discrimination Many people believe it is wrong to discriminate against someone with a physical illness, but think it is OK to discriminate against someone with a mental illness. Discrimination robs people of emotional and economical support, such as the jobs and housing needed to restore their lives. The media is the most common source of misconceptions and negative attitudes.

8. Myth vs. Fact A mental illness is different from a physical illness because it is just “in the head” of the person. While many psychiatric disorders cannot be detected through simple blood tests or biopsies, these diseases have been linked in studies to biological origins.

9. Myth vs. Fact A person with a mental illnesscan never really be normal. While only 40-50% of people with heart disease will recover, 80% will recover from depression and 60% will recover from schizophrenia with proper treatment.

10. Myth vs. Fact Everyone faces trouble in their lives and copes adequately, so people with a mental illness must be weaker in character than the rest of us. A person’s character has nothing to do with whether they develop a mental illness. It strikes people with all kinds of temperaments, beliefs, morals, and backgrounds.

11. Myth vs. Fact A person with a mental illness is unpredictable and dangerous. Violence among people with a mental illness is not common. In fact, people with a mental illness are more often victims of violence than perpetrators. In cases where violence does occur, the incidence typically results from the same reasons as with everyone else, such as feeling threatened or the excessive use of alcohol and/or drugs.

12. Language • Language shapes our perception of the world. • Language conveys our respect, our sincere interest, our love or our distrust, our disapproval, our hatred. • Words like “crazy,” “nuts,” “psycho,” “lunatic,” “wacko,” and “loony” are dehumanizing. • Words like “schizophrenic,” “borderline,” and “manic depressive” refer to the person by their diagnosis. They are a person first and not their diagnosis. • Be deliberate and thoughtful with the words you use.

13. An ALF is a Home • Receive each person into your facility as an adult. Do not try to be a parent to them. Treat each person how you would wish to be treated by another adult. • Accept each person’s unique personality and challenges. • Encourage each person to be themselves. • Accept that people will make mistakes and recognize that mistakes are a vital part of learning rather than an act of failure, not only for the person who is making a home at your ALF, but for yourself as well.

14. An ALF is a Home • Respect the differences between people. • Honor each person’s need and/or desire for privacy. • Attend to each person with respect and dignity even when your feelings and thoughts toward them are in disagreement. Over time, respect can bridge the gap between people and promote trust. • Be honest in your communication without being hurtful or controlling. • Engage in two-way dialogue about ongoing needs and ways for residents to feel comfortable