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.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
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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