With the holiday season fast approaching, this week I was tasked with wrapping donation/handout boxes in a festive manner. In a tragic, though not unexpected, turn of events, I am rather inefficient at wrapping objects in general. Though I was not the best man for the job, the importance of the job still stands.
When dealing with abused and in need people, the psychological impact of a small bit of festive cheer may not ultimately make the difference, but it certainly contributes to their well-being.
Aside from that, I set up condom packs with informational safe sex fliers. In this blog, I have previously mentioned the importance of encouraging safe sex: to prevent the spread of disease.
Due to the hectic nature of my schedule (missing a week of productivity thanks to the allergy did not help) no progress has been made on the HPV project. Hopefully, more accurate compiling can be brought about by next week.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Allergic Communications
This week I was unable to volunteer due to general difficulties revolving around my severely weakened physical state that resulted from an allergic reaction to the antibiotics that I took for Strep Throat (a pleasant turn of events).
I spent some time looking for free online chat services, and have so far discovered that there is apparently a great need for the singles of the world to chat with each other. There are a great many questionable locations on the internet that provide chatting for individuals seeking significant others. More on this to come...
Over much discussion, Jenny and I have decided that the topic of our project will be human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV has caused much controversy in recent years, and we feel that it is a legitimate cause for concern. Though HIV is a primary issue tackled by the Montrose Counseling Center, we feel that due to the wealth of information currently available at the Center on HIV, whatever work we accomplish on it will not be able to significantly contribute.
I spent some time looking for free online chat services, and have so far discovered that there is apparently a great need for the singles of the world to chat with each other. There are a great many questionable locations on the internet that provide chatting for individuals seeking significant others. More on this to come...
Over much discussion, Jenny and I have decided that the topic of our project will be human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV has caused much controversy in recent years, and we feel that it is a legitimate cause for concern. Though HIV is a primary issue tackled by the Montrose Counseling Center, we feel that due to the wealth of information currently available at the Center on HIV, whatever work we accomplish on it will not be able to significantly contribute.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
HATCHraising
A fundraising brunch was held this Saturday for HATCH (a non-profit organization with a goal to "meet the needs sexual minority adolescents from the ages of 13 and 20"). HATCH, in addition to providing a safe and positive social environment for GLBTQ teens to cope with the difficulties of life and the negative aspects of society, helps GLBTQ teens by directing them to educational and medical help when necessary and even going so far as to offer scholarships for pupils in need and helping them with other available scholarships such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Gates Millennium Scholarships.
In order to support this myriad of activities, HATCH requires the grease that oils the wheels of any endeavor in the world: money. Fundraisers are regularly held regularly to provide the quantities necessary to have access to expert, material, and the ability to give out scholarships. HATCH meetings constantly keep up with the times and provide a "Cyber Center" for youths to use the internet in a good environment that is consistently updated whenever possible.
Helping out with the fundraiser for me mostly involved setting up for the event on Friday and making sure all surfaces were clean and looked good for the fundraisers. I would have volunteered to help during the event itself on Saturday, but I have unfortunately been battling a rather obnoxious and draining bought of Scarlet Fever (a complication from my past strep throat fiasco).
In the following weeks I hope to get around to finally doing a more extensive search for the anonymous chat center.
In order to support this myriad of activities, HATCH requires the grease that oils the wheels of any endeavor in the world: money. Fundraisers are regularly held regularly to provide the quantities necessary to have access to expert, material, and the ability to give out scholarships. HATCH meetings constantly keep up with the times and provide a "Cyber Center" for youths to use the internet in a good environment that is consistently updated whenever possible.
Helping out with the fundraiser for me mostly involved setting up for the event on Friday and making sure all surfaces were clean and looked good for the fundraisers. I would have volunteered to help during the event itself on Saturday, but I have unfortunately been battling a rather obnoxious and draining bought of Scarlet Fever (a complication from my past strep throat fiasco).
In the following weeks I hope to get around to finally doing a more extensive search for the anonymous chat center.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sick Leave
I expected to be able to volunteer on Friday, but Strep Throat unfortunately had a rather different plan in mind.
Apparently one of the principal symptoms is fatigue, so I have not had the energy to work on the continually stalled project.
Given the circumstances, I will highlight a program that is fairly similar to the goal of the anonymous chatline project: EMBody: Empowering Mind and Body . EMB is an educational program that aims to reinforce those recovering from any number of problems such as substance abuse and mental illness through education and actual primary care.
Of particular interest are the educational wellness programs that are led by individuals well versed in the subject matter and deal with from anything from: depression, bipolar, stress reduction, food intake, and many more. The programs do not treat mental difficulties with the stigma common in society; rather, they treat them with understanding and a thoughtfulness towards the individuals suffering through them.
As always, such interactions are maintained by the MCC's confidentiality agreement to protect individuals from difficulties that could arise from public knowledge of their participation.
Next Friday, I will be volunteering at a fundraising brunch for HATCH, the program for aiding youth. More details will come after the event.
Apparently one of the principal symptoms is fatigue, so I have not had the energy to work on the continually stalled project.
Given the circumstances, I will highlight a program that is fairly similar to the goal of the anonymous chatline project: EMBody: Empowering Mind and Body . EMB is an educational program that aims to reinforce those recovering from any number of problems such as substance abuse and mental illness through education and actual primary care.
Of particular interest are the educational wellness programs that are led by individuals well versed in the subject matter and deal with from anything from: depression, bipolar, stress reduction, food intake, and many more. The programs do not treat mental difficulties with the stigma common in society; rather, they treat them with understanding and a thoughtfulness towards the individuals suffering through them.
As always, such interactions are maintained by the MCC's confidentiality agreement to protect individuals from difficulties that could arise from public knowledge of their participation.
Next Friday, I will be volunteering at a fundraising brunch for HATCH, the program for aiding youth. More details will come after the event.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Confidentiality Agreement
This Wednesday I was assigned a rather sensitive task: sorting papers for shredding. You don't understand how serious certain issues surrounding patient confidentiality are until you glimpse descriptions of actively occurring abuse.
The Montrose Counseling Center offers services in dealing with such issues as domestic violence among others. Domestic violence has many forms, but most commonly involves mental or physical abuse against a partner in a relationship. Other people can be quite... obsessive, and when someone comes to the MCC seeking help against such issues, the very fact that they visited has to be kept an absolute secret.
The MCC makes sure that every paper set up for disposal is checked and shredded if need be: should a crazed perpetrator of domestic abuse or some tabloid seeking dirt sift through the garbage and find a compromising piece of information on a client, their life could be endangered. If a paper has names, a written description, or any kind of information, it gets shredded. The MCC works to ensure that any unnecessary risks stop before they start.
As for the ongoing counseling chat project, school, car troubles, family in the hospital, and nosediving computers have put it on hold for the moment.
The Montrose Counseling Center offers services in dealing with such issues as domestic violence among others. Domestic violence has many forms, but most commonly involves mental or physical abuse against a partner in a relationship. Other people can be quite... obsessive, and when someone comes to the MCC seeking help against such issues, the very fact that they visited has to be kept an absolute secret.
The MCC makes sure that every paper set up for disposal is checked and shredded if need be: should a crazed perpetrator of domestic abuse or some tabloid seeking dirt sift through the garbage and find a compromising piece of information on a client, their life could be endangered. If a paper has names, a written description, or any kind of information, it gets shredded. The MCC works to ensure that any unnecessary risks stop before they start.
As for the ongoing counseling chat project, school, car troubles, family in the hospital, and nosediving computers have put it on hold for the moment.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Living With Aids
This week I helped out with lobby duties. Aside from tidying up and making sure potential clients would feel comfortable with the environment, I helped to distribute informational packets.
One booklet in particular grabbed my attention: "Living With AIDS". The booklet outlined a kind of "Getting Started" guide to living a fairly normal life with AIDS under treatment. The MCC itself offers its own counseling services for living with AIDS, but it was nice to see such a fairly comprehensive guide available before counseling.
A different magazine outlined current research into treating AIDS as well as hopes of methods for curing it. One particularly interesting article described the "German Patient" that was essentially cured of AIDS by having a bone marrow transplant from an individual genetically resistant/immune to AIDS.
Little tidbits of news like that, readily available, no doubt improve or maintain the morale of patients that desperately need good news to hold on to the will to keep going.
I felt slightly guilty about taking one of the packets when I clearly do not need it; however, next time I will ask if I can take one home temporarily.
As this month has been obnoxiously busy, I have not been able to make any progress on finding a good anonymous chat service. I will be able to resume research in the coming weeks.
One booklet in particular grabbed my attention: "Living With AIDS". The booklet outlined a kind of "Getting Started" guide to living a fairly normal life with AIDS under treatment. The MCC itself offers its own counseling services for living with AIDS, but it was nice to see such a fairly comprehensive guide available before counseling.
A different magazine outlined current research into treating AIDS as well as hopes of methods for curing it. One particularly interesting article described the "German Patient" that was essentially cured of AIDS by having a bone marrow transplant from an individual genetically resistant/immune to AIDS.
Little tidbits of news like that, readily available, no doubt improve or maintain the morale of patients that desperately need good news to hold on to the will to keep going.
I felt slightly guilty about taking one of the packets when I clearly do not need it; however, next time I will ask if I can take one home temporarily.
As this month has been obnoxiously busy, I have not been able to make any progress on finding a good anonymous chat service. I will be able to resume research in the coming weeks.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Outreach United Coming Out Party
Due to computer issues and eye surgery, my whole schedule has been set a little back. Stay tuned for a plug to fix the gap from last week.
This Friday, I went in during the afternoon to help setup for the Outreach United Coming Out Party that took place Friday and Saturday. The Coming Out Party is an event meant to highlight success and how individuals can be open about their identities and still make it in life. The event featured fine foods, performers, models, and an art auction (on Saturday). In totality, the event was a fundraiser for Outreach United to help support the organization which in turn supports numerous groups in the Houston Gay and Lesbian community. The group believes in strengthening individuals and promoting GLBT tolerance.
Aside from helping to set up the party, I am also now involved in researching into establishing a system to allow for anonymous chat counseling. Counselors at the MCC will eventually be able to speak via instant message anonymously to people in need of advice. The goal would be to provide a quick and silent hotline for people in need of help. As this is an ongoing project, more details will come along as they develop.
This Friday, I went in during the afternoon to help setup for the Outreach United Coming Out Party that took place Friday and Saturday. The Coming Out Party is an event meant to highlight success and how individuals can be open about their identities and still make it in life. The event featured fine foods, performers, models, and an art auction (on Saturday). In totality, the event was a fundraiser for Outreach United to help support the organization which in turn supports numerous groups in the Houston Gay and Lesbian community. The group believes in strengthening individuals and promoting GLBT tolerance.
Aside from helping to set up the party, I am also now involved in researching into establishing a system to allow for anonymous chat counseling. Counselors at the MCC will eventually be able to speak via instant message anonymously to people in need of advice. The goal would be to provide a quick and silent hotline for people in need of help. As this is an ongoing project, more details will come along as they develop.
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