Shelter data in a recent study revealed discharges from psychiatric facilities to shelters or the street occurred at least 194 times in 2002 in London, Ontario, Canada. This problem must be addressed to reduce the disastrous effects of such discharge, including re-hospitalization and prolonged homelessness. An intervention was developed and tested to prevent homelessness associated with discharge directly to no fixed address. A total of 14 participants at-risk of being discharged without housing were enrolled, with half randomized into the intervention group. The intervention group was provided with immediate assistance in accessing housing and assistance in paying their first and last month's rent. The control group received usual care. Data was collected from participants prior to discharge, at 31 and 6-months post-discharge. All the individuals in the intervention group maintained housing after 3 and 6 months. All but one individual in the control group remained homeless after 3 and 6 months. The exception joined the sex trade to avoid homelessness. The results of this pilot were so dramatic that randomizing to the control group was discontinued. Discussions are underway to routinely implement the intervention. Systemic improvements can prevent homelessness for individuals being discharged from psychiatric wards.
This study compared communities with three models of crisis service: (a) police as part of a specialized mental health team, (b) mental health worker as part of a specialized police team, and (c) informal relationship between police and mental health crisis service. Rural and urban areas were examined and compared. Data included focus groups and participant observation. Analysis revealed that while all communities valued their crisis services, all identified limitations in responsiveness, access, and systems-related issues. Quick access to psychiatric beds was important to services. Rural communities had no public transportation, and an important police role was safe transportation. In rural communities, mental health workers were generalists because they had to be able to address situations on their own. In urban areas, transportation was more readily available, and more specialization developed among mental health team members.
In this study, 58 undergraduate and graduate students at 1 Canadian school of social work voluntarily completed a survey at the conclusion of their academic year consisting of openand closed-ended questions intended to examine their exposure to trauma during the course of their field practice. The authors discovered that the majority of students entered the program having already experienced or been exposed to at least 1 significant traumatic incident. These ranged from verbal and sexual harassment, to having been stalked, to having experienced the death of a child or partner. Likewise, during their field practicum, the majority of these social work students experienced, or were exposed to, at least 1 incident that was emotionally or physically distressing. Although most instances neither occurred on a regular basis, nor had an overwhelming effect, a small number of social work students were exposed to traumatic incidents that were of significance to them. This fact was the result of the actions and behaviors not only of clients but also, in a few instances, of their field instructors or faculty consultants. In total, there were 52 significant or severe events reported by the 58 participants. They stated that changes in sleeping, eating, concentration, psychoactive substance use, confidence, and academic performance all occurred as a result of attending practicum. Hence, it might be beneficial for students and field instructors if schools of social work had specific curriculum
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.