Field Instruction 1 and 2: Mental Health Practice Resources

One of the most eminent writers in the field of stigma writes about one of the most significant social issues facing people with mental illnesses. Despite efforts to redress the prejudice and discrimination faced by people with mental illness, a pervasive stigma remains. Many well-meant programs have attempted to counter stigma with affirming attitudes of recovery and self-determination. Yet the results of these efforts have been mixed. Psychologist Patrick W. Corrigan examines the unintended consequences of mental health campaigns and proposes new policies in their place. He analyzes the agendas of government agencies, mental health care providers, and social service agencies that work with people with mental illness, dissecting how their best intentions can misfire. For example, a campaign to change the language around mental illness by replacing supposedly stigmatizing words with empowering ones has made little difference in how people with mental health conditions are viewed. Educational programs that frame mental illness as a brain disorder have made the general public less likely to blame people for their illnesses, but also sceptical that such conditions can be cured. Ultimately, Corrigan argues that effective strategies require leadership by those with lived experience, as their recovery stories replace ideas of incompetence and dangerousness with ones of hope and empowerment. As an experienced clinical researcher, as an advocate, and as a person who has struggled with such prejudices, Corrigan challenges readers to carefully examine anti-stigma programs and reckon with their true effects.

Acceptance and commitment therapyis a cognitive-behavioural approach related to mindfulness that emphasizes altering the way people relate to their thinking and feeling rather than trying to change these experiences. It is an extension of the recovery model. ACT for Psychosis Recovery is the first book to provide a breakthrough, evidence-based, step-by-step approach for group work with clients suffering from psychosis. As evidenced in a study by Patricia A. Bach and Steven C. Hayes, patients with psychotic symptoms who received acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in addition to treatment as usual showed half the rate of rehospitalization as those who did not. With this important guide, you'll learn how a patient's recovery can be both supported and sustained by promoting acceptance, mindfulness, and values-driven action. Recovery from psychosis is immensely challenging; patients often struggle with paranoia, auditory hallucinations, difficulties with motivation, poor concentration and memory, and emotional dysregulation. In addition, families and loved ones may have trouble understanding psychosis, and stigmatizing attitudes can limit opportunity and create alienation for patients. Recovery from psychosis means empowering patients to take charge of their lives - rather than focusing on pathology, ACT teaches patients how to stay grounded in the present moment, disengage from their symptoms, and pursue personally meaningful lives based on their values. You'll find tried and tested techniques for engaging people in groups, particularly those traditionally seen as “hard to reach”—people who may be wary of mental health services or experience paranoia. Mindfulness and values-based action are introduced in a way that is engaging and memorable, learning how to facilitate ACT groups based on a central metaphor (Passengers on the Bus). You will also find tips and strategies to help clients identify valued directions, teach clients how to respond flexibly to psychotic symptoms, thoughts, and emotions that have been barriers to living a valued life, and lead workshops that promote compassion and connection among participants. And finally, you'll gain skills for engaging participants from various ethnic backgrounds. Finding purpose and identity beyond mental illness is an important step in a patient's journey toward recovery. Using the breakthrough approach in this book, you can help clients gain the insight needed to achieve lasting well-being.

Housing Policy Debate studies topics such as housing development, affordable housing, poverty alleviation strategies, and metropolitan development trends.