#addiction and community service worker program

[tafsircareercounselor]

5 Ways Addictions And Community Service Workers Can Support Young People With Addictions

Addictions and community service workers save lives. By enrolling in an addictions and community service worker program, you will gain essential knowledge and skills that will help you build a strong foundation for comprehending and empowering young individuals and their families to tackle addiction issues. 

However, knowing the main aspects involved in supporting youth facing these complex challenges can assist you in determining if pursuing a career in this field aligns with your aspirations. This overview will help you recognize the fundamental areas that must be understood to provide the right support to youth dealing with addiction.

This is a rewarding career only if you are dedicated to helping someone with patience and understanding. Let us read further to know how an addiction and community service worker supports the young generations with addictions. 

5 Ways Addictions and Community Service Workers Can Support Young People with Addictions

Understand and Planning

This is the foremost step in saving somebody’s life, especially a youngster who is prone to addiction. Assessing the actual cause and the needs of young individuals with addiction issues. This can be done by knowing different aspects, how it started, current mental health, personal circumstances, and previous history of addictions if any. Based on the understanding an addiction and community service worker will prepare their treatment planning. The planning goals vary from person-to-person and situations they are facing. 

Education and Prevention Programs

The younger generation these days is at a higher risk of easily falling into the prey of addictive influences. They are at the mental level of adopting the road their peers are taking. Education and prevention programs are crucial aspects of dealing with the addictions of the younger brigade. Addictions and community service workers develop and deliver educational programs in schools and community settings to raise awareness about addiction, its risks, and its consequences. By providing young minds with accurate information, they empower them to make informed decisions and prevent addiction before it takes hold.

Counselling Sessions

Addictions and Community Service workers are even responsible for organizing the counselling sessions for young ones. It can be done individually or in group sessions. This gives a chance to young people to express their thoughts and feelings and helps them navigate through the challenges they face. The sessions depend on the person seeking guidance and help. Some may hesitate to express their emotions in groups so for them individual sessions are preferred. These workers provide guidance, support, and personalized strategies to help young people cope with addiction and make positive changes in their lives.

Multidisciplinary Approach

Addiction issues are often complex - even more so when young people are involved. Every aspect of support needs to be handled with additional care. This situation requires a multidisciplinary approach. Addiction and community service workers act as a bridge between young minds and other support services. If additional help is required, support workers must collaborate with appropriate specialists. They also coordinate services with different stakeholders to ensure that young people receive comprehensive support from various avenues. With the ABM College Addictions and Community Service Worker diploma program, you will learn different multidisciplinary approaches.

Follow-Up

Lastly, a follow-up is an essential part of recovery. The job of an addictions worker does not end when the treatment is over, rather they have to keep in touch with their patients afterwards too, to monitor their continued well-being. The ongoing support cannot be missed to prevent relapse. This even involves providing job opportunities to those facing issues, guiding the youths to join therapy groups, and many other ways that can be adopted to save the future of our younger generation. 

Final Words

In conclusion, the support provided by addictions and community service workers is vital for young individuals battling addiction. Their assessment, counselling, education, referral services, and continued follow-up empower these young people to overcome addiction and live fulfilling lives. 

If you have a passion for making a positive impact and a commitment to supporting young individuals on their journey, consider pursuing a career as an addiction and community service worker. Join the Addictions Program at ABM College to learn different approaches and become a successful professional in this field. 

‍Contact us now to learn more about ABM College.

You can also read more industry-relevant blogs here.

[theculturedmarxist]

This interview was conducted with a public health employee of the Hawaii State Department of Health (HIDOH), as part of the WSWS Global Workers’ Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic. The worker chose to use the pseudonym Robert to protect their identity.

Evan Blake (EB): Thank you for participating in the Global Workers’ Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic, it’s a pleasure to interview you. Can you describe your background and training in public health before the pandemic?

Robert (R): My training in public health began more than 25 years ago, initially centered on women’s reproductive health. I earned a degree in Public Health. My focus soon broadened from just women’s health to everyone’s due to the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis.

Throughout my career, I collaborated with various organizations, including academic institutions and community health centers, to develop programs targeting most of the populations in the Bay Area. These initiatives encompassed health education, addiction support, and promoting healthy relationships, as well as offering HIV/AIDS and HCV [hepatitis C]testing, counseling, contact tracing, case management and patient navigation services. When I moved to Hawaii, I continued doing health education and working with those experiencing developmental disabilities, aging and chronic illnesses.

EB: What were your initial experiences when the pandemic began in early 2020? How would you characterize the initial pandemic response of DOH [Department of Health] and state officials more generally in Hawaii?

R: I noticed in December 2019, when there was talk of unusual illness in China’s news and social media. Seeing how it was being handled there made me concerned. There seemed to be more effort in hiding it than in handling it.

I waited for our government to mention it, especially on a more local level. I really thought that since, historically, the Hawaiian Kingdom has had effective quarantine and mitigation practices, that the current leadership would follow suit. My thinking was that we don’t have rabies in Hawaii, so obviously we know how to keep viruses out.

By February, I started contacting the DOH to hire me to help out any way possible. This looked like something that could easily be squashed if they rounded up all the HIV experts and put them to work. In early March, I put my disabled clients on quarantine. I bought a bunch of fabric and a serger and my family and I made hundreds of masks. Airborne transmission has always been known.

On March 4, 2020, Hawaii’s Democratic Governor David Ige declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19, granting the state greater flexibility in responding to the crisis. This is officially when the problems with disappearing COVID funds began. On March 26, Ige issued a stay-at-home order, closing nonessential businesses and implementing strict travel restrictions.

I participated in the statewide Lt. Governor’s COVID town halls. Stay-at-home orders in March and May helped keep the numbers low. I waited for the health department to do something and cranked out masks. Schools had gone online at this point. It went pretty well for us. My kid’s school was really proactive about making sure the kids had access to what or who they needed, including computers.

My partner was labeled an essential worker because he was in construction. His boss took full advantage of this allowance and I wrote several of our state’s representatives who seemed actively concerned about COVID, about what to do in this situation.

By the end of May 2020, Dr. Mark Mugiishi, the chief executive of HMSA, brokered a deal with the UH Manoa nursing school to provide students to be trained as contact tracers. They were supposed to have seven different cohorts, but they stopped at three or four. Most of the trainees were never hired to do any work in the DOH and a majority of the graduates got letters stating thanks, but no thanks. The DOH only ever brought on a couple hundred contact tracers. That was after they got in trouble for not having enough and refusing help.

All the tracers and investigators started out being hired by agencies other than the DOH. This meant that we had no rights, but we had the same responsibilities as any other employee would have. We didn’t get hazard pay, union, or PTO, couldn’t participate in any of the benefits or mental health support and other programs they regularly provided and encouraged all employees to participate in. Most of us worked from 7 a.m. to late in the evening most nights. Most tracers and investigators were not from the locally COVID-trained cohorts.

A majority of the COVID hires weren’t brought in until much later in 2020 or in 2021. More were needed and available and instead of hiring tracers or case management, a call center was contracted to bottleneck the high volume of calls and cases.

State officials are notoriously reactive to any problem, emergency-related or not. The officials in charge of HIDOH when the pandemic was officially recognized were ill-fitted for their positions. Their responses were lackluster at best, with Sarah Park (state epidemiologist, COVID response leader) coming in to the UH Manoa COVID trainings to tell us that contact tracing was ineffective, as well as other disease mitigation techniques that we were being trained on, like routine screening.

When the contact tracing program started at the DOH, the National Guard was tasked with training us and facilitating most of the COVID mitigation efforts. This was after they had only received one day of training themselves. I met not one of them who had any health background whatsoever.

It’s been a performative disaster from the very start. Our DOH and state leadership were instrumental in encouraging the spread of COVID-19. State officials were slow to respond and, when they did, it was never an appropriate response. Hawaii usually sees at least 30,000 visitors per day from all over the world. They did everything in their power to keep that going.

EB: You mentioned that DOH employees were split up into different groups, including groups working with prisoners, homeless people, sports personnel, the wealthy, etc. Can you describe this in more detail and the class divide in the pandemic response in Hawaii?

R: DOH employees as a whole are siloed and do not collaborate or even have the slightest clue what the others are doing ever. It was difficult trying to get resources or info from within when trying to access data or connect people with other services. It was deeply embarrassing to me sometimes how incompetent everyone was.

For the pandemic efforts, the entire venture was militarized and we were beholden to chain of command operations as civilians. We were not allowed to speak to our higher-ups. Many were discouraged from speaking to anyone.

The contact tracing and case investigation were separated into several different focus groups headed by epidemiologists. These epidemiologists already had a disease focus and their loads were not lightened. They were added to. Most of them are not in fact actual trained epidemiologists. They have fallen into the position often through nepotistic means and meet bare minimum educational requirements. They had a lot of weird toxic drama that affected program function overall.

For example, if your team’s epidemiologist didn’t get along with a different team’s epidemiologist and you needed a file or lab result or info about an individual in their category, they may delay the info or just never give it to you. It was the worst addition to an already extreme high-stress situation.

The main group management often fell to the inexperienced National Guard, who were under the epidemiologists. Each group’s numbers fluctuated and usually had about 7–15 people, half National Guard, half civilian. The focuses were separated into schools, food service, military, healthcare and LT facilities, travel/VIP, Pacific Islander, severe/death, correctional facilities and homeless.

We had to wait for the daily cases to be handed to the epidemiologists. They would post new cases as they were processed into the system usually via an external call center, who received the cases mostly via the department’s only fax machine.

HIDOH hired an external call center to handle what was called first contact calls. This was actually one of the biggest obstructions to actual contact tracing or any real handling of infected patients in a timely manner.

First contact call center got the first reporting of the case. The report would come in via fax (another massive problem). That person’s name and number would be taken down and someone from the call center or the National Guard would call and ask screening questions about their health and symptoms, often with not much health training. They had three days for the individual to answer before they stopped calling and threw it out.

By the time investigators or tracers got the case, it was often 5–10 days old. We never did real contact tracing in the department. Real contact tracing would involve calling the case immediately to help them trace and notify anyone who may have been exposed. It would also involve timely and actual distribution of resources, including testing, food and money. This is not what happened.

I saw hundreds of people who were overqualified for resources denied or provided the offered resources too late. Some tracers did what could be considered “guerrilla tracing” because they had their contact info passed around for those who needed help and couldn’t get through to the health department when they needed to, or they just needed resources or their results.

A majority of people who were infected did not receive a call from the DOH or any help. They also didn’t receive guidance on quarantine or health at all. Internally, there was never training or updating on variants, pathology or how to ask sensitive questions and talk to the general public. There was a lot of secrecy and internal guidance that wasn’t health-oriented or generally useful. It was often self-congratulatory and bloviated.

This all increased the class divide as those in the service industry couldn’t afford to heal or get better and many lost and are losing their jobs. Those who were able to sealed themselves away. Admin stayed in their offices and told no one to enter, and there was an increase in work-from-home jobs for those with privilege or education, like myself.

EB: Hawaii has the highest per capita number of active US military personnel of any US state and is the state’s largest income producer, yet tourism is often claimed to be the state’s dominant industry. What were the roles of the military and the tourism industry in relation to the pandemic?

R: The military has largely handled their own COVID cases, navigation, and often not sharing when they have clusters that directly impact civilians.

The tourism industry has a finger in everything. They have been extremely instrumental in helping COVID spread. Tourism interests are largely against the people of Hawaii, who are more often harmed than helped by their existence. Tourism and business degrees are what steers most of the boards of every institution in this state. You will find significantly more business degrees than Kanaka (Hawaiian person) representing leadership in the islands. Tourism is why most of those whose birthright is the islands are homeless or not in the islands.

Both industries had large roles in facilitating spread. They pushed to keep everything open and often refused to cooperate with the HIDOH in COVID mitigation efforts.

EB: How have the federal pandemic funds approved under Trump and Biden been dispersed within Hawaii? Can you describe any corruption or negligence that you’ve seen in this regard?

R: I can pretty much only describe corruption and negligence regarding the usage of funds. The HIDOH let over 30 million dollars’ worth of badly needed COVID tests go to waste and then spent over $60,000 to destroy them. The schools never saw much of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds put to use in the schools for mitigation efforts. Countless non-profits denied resources to the community. A robot dog was purchased to test homeless people for COVID, over $1 million were spent on Thanksgiving turkeys in Maui. Oahu’s police department got a bunch of new toys.

The HIDOH never upgraded their information transmission capabilities. They depended on two fax machines for the entirety of the COVID efforts, meaning that all data and case info was transmitted through these machines, slowing down any work or real efforts.

The machines ran over the weekend and whoever was on the following Monday had literal piles of data to enter into the system for reported cases, hospital data, etc. The whole venture has been performative negligence. The funding was better and more resources were distributed while Trump was president. Biden is an absolute disgrace, considering he campaigned on getting rid of COVID.

Most of the funds that could have been used to improve the community and help mitigate COVID were used irresponsibly and have been absorbed by the state. Governor Ige went out of his way to pass legislation that approved shady usage of funds and halt transparency. Governor Green is even worse. The COVID response was just a preview for how Green is handling the Lahaina fires.

EB: Schools reopened with less and less mitigation measures each year, causing repeated waves of mass viral transmission. Can you describe this process and the public health measures you advocated for them to implement? What was the response of various officials to your efforts? How are you seeing the impacts on children, including with Long COVID?

R: The 2020 school response was much better than the following years. Students were provided Chromebooks and instruction from their teachers. It wasn’t implemented in a way that made it easy for many instructors and families, but it was the safest option that was provided.

The following year, the district (the state has only 1) offered something completely different.

In-person instruction or a program for those staying home, that required the parent or caregiver to spend 4–6 hours per day implementing. With no live teachers or real support offered from the school or Department of Education (DOE). The schools who offered it didn’t even know what it was or how it functioned. They just referred parents to the program’s website or phone number if they needed any assistance.

Often parents who required more support or Special Education (SPED) services for their children were ignored, punished, had CPS called on them, or were harassed by some school’s staff and admin.

In many of the poorest areas, where much of our service industry workforce resides, the schools didn’t even offer an alternative to in-person classes. I’m in one of these areas and I removed my child from her school after they refused to provide any support or programming besides that awful program they were offering which forced the parent to provide instruction without support. I already had a job. They called CPS on me. They would send staff to my door every week to sign unnecessary paperwork. They did this for two years. Officials didn’t care. The School’s Superintendent and the super for my area was never even available and never returned calls. I called weekly. I was working on so many cases connected to our schools the whole time, it was no question about removing my kid.

None of the public schools had their air systems improved or HEPA filters added. Some were using hand sanitizer on children’s desks in between classes when they were supposed to sanitize them properly. There wasn’t any solid guidance provided to the schools. Every time I got through to a school nurse or principal about a case, they begged for info on what to do and how to handle mitigations with all the sickness.

Sickness in children and school staff wasn’t being reported accurately because contact tracers were instructed not to connect cases in the classroom with each other. This kept the cluster report low. Many teachers were punished for mentioning their own infections and they were not allowed to notify students’ parents either. This devastated our community, since it has one of the highest counts of multigenerational households in the nation.

Josh Green, who is now Hawaii’s governor, was the head of the COVID Task Force. His main messaging has only ever been regarding vaccines. He spent a significant amount of time pointing the finger at many of our Pasifika communities in regard to their vaccine hesitancy instead of working with them to mitigate COVID in other ways.

When the 2021–22 school year started, the district was ill-prepared and kids weren’t approved for vaccines yet. The school’s superintendent, Christina Kishimoto, was completely useless at getting any mitigations in the schools at all. She ignored the entire community, including so many teachers and parents who tried to keep or make the schools, or at least education, safe and accessible to all.

Senator Brian Schatz and others who had been previously notified about in-school spread and the actual numbers present instead of the falsely low reported ones, maintained the script that children needed to learn in-person. Even after in-person learning saw children being shoved together in cafeterias all day without proper instruction due to sick staff, those in charge maintained that the children needed to be in schools. This was supposedly for their mental health and education, which had never been prioritized previously.

Hawaii has had a major deficit in adequate and accessible education, as well as mental health care providers and services, for a very long time. Additionally, we don’t have school nurses in each school like many contiguous states offer. Many of our schools share a nurse and may not have an area for children to be sick or wait for someone to get them from school.

In-school cases often fell to vice principals and other staff. By the 2022–23 school year, schools had removed any guidance that was useful. They never upgraded or improved the air systems. Many of our schools have had problems with lack of proper air conditioning for a long time before the pandemic. The pandemic just made it worse.

There was a program created at the start of the 2022–23 school year to make the DOH, DOE and CDCF work together to improve the conditions in the schools. The HIDOE refused to meet or participate in any improvements to their school’s systems, provide resources such as testing, PPE or pandemic guidance.

Our state leadership has met with many COVID experts, DOH employees and medical staff who have told them what is happening in their districts, classrooms, hospitals and the community throughout the official pandemic and even now. They all have given lip-service and often have reacted appropriately in those meetings but nothing ever comes of it.

At first, children were just getting cold-like symptoms like everyone else. Those who had existing health issues usually suffered more. Not many children’s cases were followed past the initial call. Over time, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) became a focus as the children’s symptoms didn’t always go away.

Since Omicron emerged in November 2021, kids have had an increase in seizures and a lot of problems with focus and memory. My child has had several friends die from COVID. Long COVID in kids is terrifying, and the impact is already noticeable. Mine just stated that what everyone needs to know is that it’s harder for kids to learn now. She notices so much brain damage in her peers already. Before she got COVID, it was easier for her to process information. Things take much longer now.

To be honest, I’ve rarely seen an actual full recovery. People move benchmarks and brain damage is extremely hard to self-identify. COVID is long and lasting. Nearly every infection shows damage whether it’s noticed or not. For those who don’t have immediate consequences, it’s playing the long game.

EB: How else are you seeing the ongoing impacts of the pandemic associated with COVID-19 infection, including Long COVID?

R: I noticed very early on that regardless of how mild the cases were, there were often residual issues with the person’s ability to handle and process information. The one symptom that should be tracked more than temperature is cognitive ability—confusion, disorientation, odd and unusual thoughts and behaviors. The ongoing impact of any COVID infection is a significant amount of unchecked and untracked brain damage. It’s very difficult to self-diagnose and most of our medical providers are still unaware of COVID and how it presents.

Getting infected with COVID can reduce the immune system’s ability to function. Each reinfection can reduce immune function even more, inviting opportunistic infections to eventually kill us. This is how HIV functions, but at least there is treatment for that. There’s no treatment for Long COVID and there’s even less treatment or care for those under 12 years old. The impact I see right now is immense. Children and young adults are exhibiting Alzheimer’s and dementia-like symptoms, and there are huge increases of cancer, diabetes and heart problems at the population level.

EB: What have been your experiences advocating for Long COVID patients, and what are some of your greatest concerns with the “mass disabling event” of Long COVID associated with the pandemic? What do doctors know or not know, and what do you think needs to be done to address this?

R: While documenting cases in 2020, some had symptoms that just wouldn’t resolve. A few threatened to commit suicide and were in constant and severe pain. Many of their doctors didn’t believe them. I would contact their doctors and explain what Long COVID was. I would send them studies if they requested and would tell them what labs or referrals to order for their patients.

Many doctors were receptive at first. Some would gaslight the patients, saying that they were experiencing anxiety and not their actual ongoing COVID symptoms. I made an extra effort to contact those ones because they were making the patients worse and confused. I spent hundreds of hours on social media spaces giving talks about COVID, Long COVID and what I was seeing. Other Long COVID sufferers and advocates would join.

None of this data was being collected or distributed by our DOH, regardless of how the variants mutated or the community was being impacted. Any attempts to send information up the chain of command to the top were ignored and sometimes punished.

Over time, the doctors I was working with were getting Long COVID themselves. It led to a significant reduction in care for their patients. Some would brush the issue off because they had it and they were working, which they thought meant they were fine.

Doctors need to have proper information and guidance. Without it, many people are being told COVID isn’t really a problem. They trust their doctors to know about COVID. Their doctors are unknowingly feeding them to the fire. Vaccines are only one layer of a many-layered solution, and at this point vaccines aren’t very effective at preventing infection as the virus continues to rapidly mutate and new variants continue to evolve.

In terms of public health as a whole, the CDC is looked at as the main guidance for all these institutions. They need to be putting out clear messaging about COVID being airborne, the fact that an infection commonly lasts anywhere from 14–20 days, each reinfection can reduce immune function, and COVID is a vascular disaster that can wreck any and all organs of the body. These are things that scientists have known since 2020. There is absolutely no reason Drs. Rochelle Walensky and Anthony Fauci didn’t know the correct protocols for handling this pandemic. They both have HIV backgrounds.

My greatest concern about this mass disabling event is that I live in Hawaii. Disabled people were hidden, ignored and underserved here before the pandemic. It was nearly impossible to find mental and behavioral health services and they were often insufficient at best.

When everyone keeps getting reinfected, they will not be able to function. There’s low availability for services now and it’s already getting pretty noticeable. My friends working in the hospital are reporting incredibly low staff numbers and extreme burnout. We only had nine ambulances in circulation a couple weeks ago due to callouts.

Suicides, mental hospital stays and inability to function are becoming increasingly common and we’re just getting started. Since the pandemic began, there’s been an increase in car and plane accidents, heart attacks, diabetes, cancers, previously rare disorders and sudden deaths. Currently, COVID is listed as the third leading cause for death in the US, but if data were properly collected, COVID would be number one.

I took someone to the doctor for a head wound to be stitched and the doctor didn’t even mention concussion protocol. He said strange things that hadn’t been relevant regarding COVID since 2021. He behaved odd and childlike.

This mass disabling event is largely invisible. Many cannot self-diagnose the brain damage that a significant percentage of infections cause to some degree. It changes moods, thoughts, function, and can make people confused or angry.

My biggest concern is that with mass infection and reinfection, everyone is getting their brains melted. Who will take care of anyone when no one is left healthy and functional? Who will grow our food, participate in society, or even be able to get out of bed after we’ve all had multiple infections? Who will be left?

EB: Those are critical points, and concerns that should be more widely shared. The propaganda of the corporate media and political establishment has had a real impact, and prevented masses of people from understanding the dangers of COVID-19 and Long COVID.

Changing topics somewhat, when we spoke before you said that “Lahaina is an active crime scene, just like the COVID situation here is also an active crime scene.” Can you elaborate more on this and the criminal negligence that you believe caused this catastrophic fire? What other connections do you see between this fire and the COVID-19 pandemic?

R: Just the fact that there’s such a focus from those in charge on reopening and getting back to work tells me everything I need to know. The community just experienced a life-altering trauma and instead of really taking care of them and helping them get situated and time and resources to heal, it’s full-steam ahead. Open up, get back to work, go to school. Don’t worry about how you’re going to pay that mortgage on the burn pile where you used to live.

Just like with the COVID pandemic, the Emergency Management Agency lead didn’t have experience. They didn’t sound any alarm, and clearly weren’t well versed on emergency response protocols, otherwise they would have correctly used the emergency alarm system. Instead, Herman Andaya reasoned with everyone about why he didn’t think they were necessary.

For COVID, Josh Green facilitated thousands of tourists freely and consistently infecting our community with almost no guidance other than to get vaccinated. He gaslit us for years from his whiteboard and scrubs. He got even worse after he got COVID. The brain damage is real.

Why didn’t Maui sound the emergency system that is used for emergencies including wildfires? Why didn’t HIDOH enact their public health police powers to protect the community from COVID? Why do they both consistently report false numbers? Why do they both tell the community about resources that exist, but in reality are not actually available? Why is the community being forced to bear the brunt of the outcome of both disasters alone? Why does our leadership refuse to work with the community to solve either issue?

I know how greedy and careless this government is first-hand. Especially when local people are involved. Both disasters have resulted in very high losses to our Filipino and Pasifika communities.

How are we the only state without a fire marshal? Why is there never anyone held accountable? How do all these incredibly incompetent folks keep getting replaced by more incompetence? Nepotism. It has led to incredible incompetence and I have to assume it’s why there’s no accountability or oversight anywhere or for anything.

EB: Since the beginning of the pandemic, the WSWS has advocated for the full deployment of all available public health measures to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 throughout the world. Multiple countries proved that such a Zero-COVID strategy was possible, and we now know even more about viral transmission.

We have stressed that the fundamental reason this global elimination strategy has not been implemented is due to the division of the world into rival nation-states and the refusal of the capitalist ruling elites to accept any impingement on their ability to exploit workers and generate profits. What are your thoughts on this, and do you agree that we need to fight for a global elimination strategy?

R: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has exposed the challenges associated with the division of the world into nation-states, each pursuing its own approach to pandemic management. It’s been an absolute disaster.

When the virus first hit and people began seeing consequences and acting accordingly, I thought we had a chance at stopping the virus. Then the countries with more behaved greedily. They hoarded and wasted resources in the face of the countries who couldn’t get access to resources from the global market.

We are all in this together and no one is getting off this rock alive. Working together is the only way to get rid of this virus and all the others that have been popping up in the past few years.

Unfortunately, such an approach seeks to prioritize the well-being of individuals and communities over economic interests as Cuba has done. They developed their own COVID-19 vaccines. They consistently have the lowest reported COVID cases and deaths globally. Often close to zero. Their vaccines work much better than ours have been.

This reflects true commitment to public health and an ability to leverage existing medical and scientific infrastructure to respond to the pandemic independently.

EB: Thank you for this invaluable interview and contribution to the Global Workers’ Inquest.

R: Thank you.

[beardedmrbean]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Sacramento’s top prosecutor is suing the city’s leaders over failure to cleanup homeless encampments, escalating a monthslong dispute with leaders in California’s capital city.

County District Attorney Thien Ho announced the lawsuit Tuesday during a news conference in Sacramento, saying the city is seeing a “collapse into chaos” that he said reflects the “erosion of everyday life.” A group of residents and business owners also filed a companion lawsuit against the city.

Ho said his office had asked the city to enforce local laws around sidewalk obstruction and to create additional professionally operated camping sites, but that the city did not.

The lawsuit includes accounts from dozens of city residents living around 14 encampments. Some homeowners recounted being threatened with firearms at their front door and having their properties broken into and vandalized — which has driven some from their homes. Local business owners said they have spent thousands of dollars to upgrade their security systems after their workers were assaulted by homeless people, while calls to city officials seeking help have gone unanswered, the lawsuit said.

“This is a model for the people to stand up and hold their government accountable,” Ho said in an interview Tuesday. “All I’m asking is the city do its job.”

Sacramento County had nearly 9,300 homeless people in 2022, based on data from the annual Point in Time count. That was up 67% from 2019. Roughly three-quarters of the county’s homeless population is unsheltered, and the majority of that group are living on Sacramento streets.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said Ho was politicizing the issue. The city has added 1,200 emergency shelter beds, passed ordinances to protect sidewalks and schools and has created more affordable housing, Steinberg said in a statement.

The city is trying to avoid “the futile trap of just moving people endlessly from one block to the next,” Steinberg said. People’s frustrations are “absolutely justified” but Ho’s actions are a “performative distraction,” he said.

“The city needs real partnership from the region’s leaders, not politics and lawsuits,” he said.

Homeless tent encampments have grown visibly in cities across the U.S. but especially in California, which is home to nearly one-third of unhoused people in the country.

Ho had threatened in August to file charges against city officials if they didn’t implement changes within 30 days. In a letter to the city, Ho demanded that Sacramento implement a daytime camping ban where homeless people have to put their belongings in storage between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., among other rules.

City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood’s office has also repeatedly urged Ho to work with the city to address the issue, she said.

“It sadly appears the DA would rather point fingers and cast blame than partner to achieve meaningful solutions for our community,” Alcala Wood said in a statement.

Ho, elected in 2022 after vowing on the campaign trail to address the city’s homelessness crisis, said he’s asked the city to share real-time data about available shelter beds with law enforcement. He anticipates the lawsuit will go to trial and hopes a jury will agree with what he has proposed.

“This is a rare opportunity — a rare opportunity — for us to effectuate meaningful, efficient means of getting the critically, chronically unhoused off the streets,” Ho said.

Ho said he supports a variety of solutions including enforcing laws and establishing new programs to provide services to people facing addiction or mental health issues. He said he supports a statewide bond measure that would go toward building more treatment facilities. Voters will weigh in on that measure next year. He also backs the proposed changes in the state’s conservatorship system that would make it easier for authorities to mandate treatment for those with alcohol and drug use disorders.

The dispute between the district attorney and the city was further complicated by a lawsuit filed by a homeless advocacy group earlier this year that resulted in an order from a federal judge temporarily banning the city from clearing homeless encampments during extreme heat. That order is now lifted but the group wants to see it extended.

The attorney for the homeless coalition also filed a complaint with the state bar this month, saying Ho abused his power by pushing the city to clear encampments when the order was in place.

Ho’s news conference included testimony from residents who say the city is not providing resources to deal with homelessness. Emily Webb said people living an encampment near her home have trespassed on her property, blocked her driveway and threatened her family, but city officials have done little to clear the camp.

“We’re losing sleep and exhausted from this stress,” she said Tuesday. “We are beyond frustrated and no longer feel comfortable or safe in our home.”

Critics have said encampments are unsanitary and lawless, and block children, older residents and disabled people from using public space such as sidewalks. They say allowing people to deteriorate outdoors is neither humane nor compassionate.

But advocates for homeless people say they can’t alleviate the crisis without more investment in affordable housing and services, and that camping bans and encampment sweeps unnecessarily traumatize homeless people.

[shashirajfoundation]

Empowering Lives: Shashiraj Foundation - A Beacon of Hope in Delhi NCR's Rehabilitation Landscape

Introduction: 

Rehabilitation Center in Delhi NCR, where the fast-paced lifestyle often intersects with various challenges, access to reliable rehabilitation services is paramount. For individuals battling addiction, mental health issues, or physical disabilities, finding a supportive environment for rehabilitation can make all the difference. Enter Shashiraj Foundation, a beacon of hope and healing in Delhi NCR's rehabilitation landscape.

Understanding Rehabilitation:

 Rehabilitation centers play a crucial role in helping individuals recover from substance abuse, manage mental health conditions, and regain independence following physical injuries or disabilities. these centers provide comprehensive programs and support services tailored to each individual's unique needs, fostering holistic healing and empowerment.

Meet Shashiraj Foundation:

 Shashiraj Foundation is a renowned Rehabilitation center in Delhi NCR, dedicated to transforming lives through compassionate care and evidence-based practices. With a multidisciplinary team of professionals, including doctors, counselors, therapists, and social workers, the foundation offers a wide range of rehabilitation services to individuals and families in need.

Comprehensive Services Offered: 

Shashiraj Foundation provides a comprehensive range of rehabilitation services designed to address various challenges and support individuals on their journey to recovery. These services include:

1. Substance Abuse Treatment: The foundation offers personalized treatment programs for individuals struggling with substance abuse disorders, including alcoholism, drug addiction, and prescription medication misuse. Through detoxification, counseling, therapy, and relapse prevention strategies, individuals receive the support they need to overcome addiction and lead fulfilling lives.

2. Mental Health Support: Mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, can significantly impact one's quality of life. Shashiraj Foundation offers specialized programs and therapies to help individuals manage their mental health challenges, regain stability, and build resilience.

Conclusion:

 In the heart of Delhi NCR, Shashiraj Foundation stands as a beacon of hope and healing for individuals seeking rehabilitation and support. with its comprehensive services, multidisciplinary approach, and commitment to empowering lives, the foundation continues to make a meaningful impact on the community. If you or a loved one is in need of rehabilitation services, Shashiraj Foundation offers the compassionate care and expertise needed to embark on the journey to recovery.

[hybridmindthoughtsreloaded]

MKUltra

Operation Condor (terror campaign in South America)

Operation Bootstraps (transform Puerto Ricos economy into exploitable industrial model)

Project Artichoke (forced morphine addiction for mind control and use of LSD to induce amnesia)

Strawberry Fields (hidden black site for CIA prisoners located near prisons at Guantanamo Bay)

Project FUBELT (operation in Chile to stop rise of Allende and put Pinochet in power

GREYSTONE (a multitude of subprograms, mostly illegal renditions and interrogations in Afghanistan)

Project MKNaomi (Biological and chemical warfare capabilities)

Operation Mockingbird (Domestic op, manipulation of US media. Wiretaps, included purchasing of media companies)

Project Merrimac and Project Resistance (sub programs of parent project, Operation Chaos, which was focused on infiltration and dismantling of anti war and civil rights groups)

Operation Merlin (Provide Iran with sabatoged design for nuclear component in hope to cause accident)

Operation Mongoose (Assassinate Castro)

JMWAVE (Using University of Miami radio station as front for CIA communications station)

Project Azorian (Spent 800million [3.9 billion adjusted for inflation] on recovering Soviet Sub. One of most expensive, secret and complex ops of Cold War, theorized to be front for either tapping undersea communication cables, setting up underwater missile silo or submarine surveilance systems)

Operation 40 (Intended to seize control of Cuba after Bay of Pigs, which was enough of a fiasco to cancel op)

Disposition Matrix (The “kill list”, created by Obama Admin in 2010, database for tracking, rendition and execution of suspected enemies of the United States government. The criteria are not public, and are shaped by National Counterterrorism Director. Contains Dossier and strategies for rendition/assassination)

Operation Charly (Collab with Argentinian fascists to hunt down leftists)

Operation IA Feature (supporting sides during Angolan civil war)

Operation Kufire (track all communists coming to and frok Guatamala)

Operation Kugown aka PB History (dissemination of anti-communist propoganda in Guatemala)

Operation MIAS aka Missing in Action Stingers (Attempt to buyback Stinger missiles gifted to Mujahideen [predecessor to Al-Queda] during Cold War. Still mostly classified)

Operation Midnight Climax (CIA set up safehouses in New York and San Francisco, used sex workers to lure people back to safehouse, were given LSD and monitored through one way mirror, developed surveillance techniques and sexual blackmail tactics. Eventually program expanded to just dosing people in public. Beaches, restaurants and bars.)

Operation Momentum (Infiltrate Hmong tribes in Laos and radicalize them into clandestine operatives during Laotian civil war. After Vietnam and Laotian civil war ended many Hmong were forced to resettle in the US)

Operation Washtub (False flag, planting arms to make it look like Soviets were tied to President of Guatemala. Part of larger series of operations built around sponsoring coup in 1954)

Project CHATTER (Collab with Navy, studying use of anabsine (an alkaloid), scopopamine and mescaline for interrogation.

Project MKSEARCH and MKCHICKWIT (Identify drugs in Europe/Asia for MK Ultra program)

MKOFTEN (partner to MK Ultra, according to Chief of CIA Technical services branch Dr. Sidney Gottlieb was to “explore forces of dark magic” and “harness the forces of darkness”)

[notwiselybuttoowell]

Homelessness advocates say there is a nationwide trend of homeless people relying on public libraries as a safe haven where they can stay warm, use public restrooms, and avoid harassment from law enforcement. As a result, libraries and library staff are often trapped between a rock and a hard place, said Ryan Dowd, of Homeless Training, a conflict resolution program for frontline workers.

While library staff must be committed to serving patrons regardless of socioeconomic status, many of them don’t have training on how to deal with an unsheltered person suffering from untreated mental illness, drug addiction, or other problems.

Compared to homeless shelters, which are often loud, crowded and struggle to stay clean, “libraries are everything homelessness is not”, Dowd explained. “It’s a public space, for communal use. If the option is that or be outside all day in 15-degree weather, I know what I’d do.

“Homelessness is also incredibly boring,” he said.

Ty Bellamey, of Black Lives of Humanity Movement, said Volunteers of America help unsheltered people, who often don’t have permanent addresses, get a library card. Many of the homeless people she works with are avoiding the police, or other unsheltered people who might steal their stuff, she said. They go to bed, wake up, walk to the library when they’re cold, tired and hungry, and then do it again, even if they are handicapped or just got out of jail, she explained.

People who have access to shelter beds still will leave to read books and use library computers, Dowd said.

In recent years, libraries have also become the frontline for connecting unsheltered people with basic needs.

The Las Vegas-Clark county library district provides hygiene kits; almost 30 of the greater Las Vegas area’s libraries are designated Safe Place sites for homeless youth. Outreach staff in downtown Chicago host meetings to connect case managers and unsheltered people, helping the latter to get public benefits and fill out housing applications. A Salt Lake City library offers free clothing and for homeless people, many of whom reside in encampments along a nearby river.

“Many libraries have added social workers to their staff,” said Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, the American Library Association president, citing a trend that started in the past decade.

Public libraries are “the first point of contact in helping people with serious needs”, she said, which includes referring homeless patrons to other community agencies. Pelayo-Lozada said library services and facilities are for everyone, the housed and unhoused, and staff addresses all patrons needs “without judgment to the best of their ability”.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Lula's government is criticized for creating an area for therapeutic communities after pressure from Brazilian religious entities

Responding to requests from religious entities, the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers' Party) government created a specific sector for therapeutic communities aimed at treating drug addicts, structures encouraged by the Jair Bolsonaro (Liberal Party) administration.

The creation of the Department of Support for Therapeutic Communities, published on January 20th 2022, raises criticism from human rights organizations contrary to the sheltering of drug addicts generally based on isolation, abstinence, and religiosity. To circumvent the pressures, the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family, and Fight against Hunger went on to say that the sector is under review.

One of the solutions evaluated by the government is to change the cabinet's name to reinforce the discourse that it does not serve only therapeutic communities, say members of the government who follow the discussion.

The department was not part of the initial structure of the new ministry. The area was created by decree published in an extra edition of the Official Gazette three days after the team of Minister Wellington Dias (Workers' Party) received representatives from the treatment centers. The group had been complaining about the extinction of Senapred (National Secretariat for Care and Prevention of Drugs), focused on dialogue with communities during the Bolsonaro government.

Confenact (National Confederation of Therapeutic Communities) participated in the meeting with the new government. During the elections, the confederation published an image of Bolsonaro on social networks, in addition to messages from members advocating voting for candidates against drugs, abortion, and "gender ideology".

The confederation told the report that it supports public policies and governments that adopt as a strategy "the non-liberation of drugs, the non-decriminalization of marijuana or any other illicit drug, the defense of Christian principles and values, abstinence as a prevention and treatment strategy, spirituality, [and] the work of third sector entities".

On Tuesday (24), the National Council for Human Rights (which brings together representatives of civil society and public power) cited the creation of the department and recommended that the Lula government audit all contracts signed with therapeutic communities in the past administration, in addition to the cancellation of partnerships with entities that receive teenagers.

The council also suggested to the Ministry of Health the creation of a program "aiming at the effective replacement of therapeutic communities by territorial mental health strategies and services".

Federal funding for these structures has exploded in recent years. It went from R$44 million in 2017 to around R$ 100 million [~US$ 19.41 million] in 2019, according to a survey by Conectas, an NGO dedicated to human rights.

The 2023 Budget has R$ 272 million [~US$ 52.79 million] reserved for "drug demand reduction". This budgetary action primarily serves these communities.

A 2020 survey by Folha de S.Paulo showed that 74% of therapeutic communities that received federal funding were religious in origin.

Treatment sites still have strong support from Congress. Of the amount reserved for this year, R$ 75 million [~US$ 14.56 million] are from individual amendments by parliamentarians, a number higher than the R$ 45 million [~US$ 8.73 million] indicated by deputies and senators in 2022.

The bet on therapeutic communities is resisted by members of the Lula government and the left.

The health transition group, of which Minister Nísia Trindade was a member, suggested in the final report the immediate repeal of government regulations linked to these entities. The human rights group also recommended reviewing the Bolsonaro government's policies on the topic.

The previous management even used BRL 24.5 million [~US$ 4.75 million] leftovers from Bolsa Família to cover expenses with these communities, as revealed by Folha de S. Paulo.

The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), stated in one of the first speeches after taking office that he intends to increase vacancies in therapeutic communities. For Gabriel Sampaio, director of Conectas, inspection of these treatment centers should be carried out by the Ministry of Health and follow SUS (Brazil's unified public healthcare system) standards, in addition to national and international regulations on human rights.

He also claims that there is a high volume of public resources destined to communities with little control over the works.

Confenact said that there are more than 2,000 therapeutic communities in Brazil and that this type of structure is one of the treatment alternatives for people with dependence on alcohol and other drugs. They also said that the effectiveness of reception is scientifically proven.

"Involuntary admissions are not among the characteristics of therapeutic communities, whether in the legal, technical, nor in the scope of current regulations.", stated the confederation.

Representative of Renila (National Inter-nuclei Network of the Anti-Asylum Fight), a group that criticizes the creation of the department, psychologist and psychiatrist Miriam Abou-Yd said that the therapeutic community is one of the impasses that surround the Lula government.

She claims that inspections carried out in these spaces find "restriction of the right to come and go, imposition of creed", in addition to the performance of unqualified professionals and the work of inmates, in situations "similar to slave labor".

"It is the most faithful photograph of the use of the suffering and the body of the other, always in the name of faith, but generating profit for ambitious, voracious and ruthless entrepreneurs", said Miriam.

Sought, the Ministry of Development said only that "the decree is being reviewed". The cabinet did not say how much should be passed on to therapeutic communities in 2023 and who will lead the new department.

Source, translated by the blogger.

[freeworldallahexecutivembaclass]

Work force development and community development business renewal act creating more employees create more consumers . Planning taking abandoned buildings and turning them into we care back to work programs and take care of the clients every need from We Care and We Work programs Fedcap back to work programs from abandoned buildings in the hood the ghetto the slums use the power of Tammany Hall or for a better term economically and socially depressed environments which increases culturally stressed out anxiety prone environments leading to early deaths nicotine addiction a sense of helplessness and hopelessness you could change those environments of people into able bodied and faithful and hopeful people that work and consume of the businesses in their neighborhood then the next step is a better community these back to work programs employ more counselors more social service workers more security guards more teachers more police force more home care attendants , secretaries and construction workers of all levels from a laborer to skilled tradesmen and women architects , blue print specialist , welders , electricians , plumbers , carpenters , and supervisors

Turning abandoned buildings in every neighborhood in America and international locations each country and every continent into thriving businesses and employment training programs

Back to work programs that guide their clients through

Substance abuse

Mental health illness

Physical inactivity and putting them back to work creates great energetic communities and economies .

Excerpt from Donald Trump Commercial real estate investing

For a city or town to move to a buyer's market phase 2 - The next phase in the cycle - it's leaders must do something to increase employment opportunities when jobs are created , people begin to migrate back into a community population increases vacant sprees begin to fill , and at last rents once again begin to climb .

In order to attract job growth , the first necessary element is strong local leadership . If local government is not committed to change . Or if it's only activity is finger pointing about who's to blame for the lousy economy - the area will continue to wallow in a buyer's market , phase 1 .

Each city 🏙️🌆 has a master plan to guide it to the next round of growth . City leadership creates the plan to facilitate growth . To get your own copy of the master , call the local economic development committee and speak with a local office . He will be happy to talk with you and tell you about all the wonderful things in the city that are happening or soon will be . He knows the city needs investors like you in order to spark the next round of growth . You must be cautious when viewing the master plan , though . First determine when it was last updated .

Is it fresh , or is it one of the documents that took time and energy to compile , but no one pays any attention to . It was written ten years ago and has not been updated , city leadership is not proactive.

Next , determine whether the city has actually taken action on the plan . A continuously updated plan that never comes to fruition is simply a work of fiction .

In the plan , you should see many areas that are labeled revitalized zones . These are usually downtrodden areas filled with obsolete buildings . The city usually creates a plan to spur business growth and development in these areas . They can be great places to invest , but only if the city has spent significant money to it's plan a reality , and is clearly taking action . Until you see that happen , leave your money in your money in your pocket . Don't get stuck buying into , into that work or fiction that goes nowhere , and has a sad ending .

Buyer's ending If the city leadership is on the ball , new jobs will begin to emerge in the city . Following the jobs , people will begin to migrate back to the city . The market slowly absorbs is oversupply of properties . Rental spaces fill up . Not only does occupancy increase , but there is a decline in how long properties and retail and office space stay on the market . As even more jobs come into the area , the pace quickens . Boarded up residential and commercial properties come to life as investors rehabilitate them and put these residential and commercial properties back on the market . During the previous phase - Buyer's market , phase 1 - Bank foreclosures had risen to their highest levels . It's typical in the later stage late stage of a buyer's market , phase 2 , for competition for these bank foreclosures to become fierce . Both national and local investors now realize that there is money to be made in this market . Word gets around and both experienced and new investors circle this market on their maps .

As the market continues to improve , properties morph from being occupied by anyone who can go a mirror and pay a few dollars in rent , to fulfilling their highest and best use . The quality of business and tenants improve because they can afford to pay higher rent .

Rents and lease rates were in the earlier buyer's market , phase one , but they're now on the move Because of this , property values arise . Commercial property values rise fairly quickly ,because they are largely , valued as a function of their income , which is getting better all the time .

This is the very beginning stage of an emerging market . Any investor can see this new activity taking place . Only the savvy investors can look at the earliest buyer's market , phase 1 , and know that this phase 2 market is about to occur . They - and you - know this by doing your research and looking for certain market forces taking place .

Oddly enough , local property owners are the most likely to be blind to all the signs of recovery first . They're the last to see it because their vision is so clouded by the pain they've been through in the last few years . They watched unemployment increase and saw the glut of properties that choked the market . They felt constant pain as revenues dropped , but their payments to lenders did not

In the midst of all the swearing they did at the terrible market , they swore they would not invest in the area again . After all , they see no construction happening , and figure that the market is still dead . These are fabolous sellers for you ! They're still hurting and looking for someone to dump their properties on when you come , maybe interested in buying .

They breathe a giant sigh of relief when you slide the check across the closing table . Their long nightmare is over .

The major oversupply is just starting to be absorbed , though , and rent levels have not grown high enough to support the building of new properties .

Because this city had an aggressive program to attract jobs , companies have committed to the area . Those plans transform from commitments to actual , breathing people signing up for those new jobs . As jobs come in , other jobs are created . For every one professional job that comes into an area , another three to four service jobs are support that professional . This is called the multiplier effect . If a city expects to increase it's labor force by 4 , 000 new non-agricultural jobs , you can expect a total employment increase of 12 , 000 to 18 , 000 . This ripple effect will positively affect each type of commercial property , although ,- as I said before - apartments will see the benefits before retail does .

As jobs come into an area competition for labor begins to increase , so do salaries . There is now more disposable income that gets reinvested into the community in the form of restaurant and shopping revenues . The prosperity phase is beginning .

Sellers market This is the second half of the emerging market . It occurs when a market reaches equilibrium. Rental and lease rates have risen to the level that can support new construction of commercial properties .

In this phase , even the local die - hard pessimists have become believers . Everyone is convinced that the good times are here to stay , and money flows into the market . Investors from far away now read about the market and add to the inflow of money . With all these investors now seeing positive signs everywhere they look , demand for investment properties is at the highest point of any phase in the cycle .

Demand now increases even more and soon surpasses the supply of investment properties . The same is true of commercial space and rental units . Construction again takes off . Properties sell very quickly and time on the market reaches its lowest point of all the phases .

The New program for women training and job placement

Free training and job placement for women Nontraditional employment for women High pay Union career medical benefits Pension and paid annuities .

Career opportunities With building and construction , transportation and public utilities Enroll today new - NYC .or Text or call ( 212 ) 627 - 6252

[john-marshall]

I’m a patient of CT DMHAS (department of mental health and addiction services) in a program for severe and complex cases. Last year around this time I was a patient at a community clinic and they referred me to DMHAS because I have chronic medical issues, I’m a high suicide risk because of past attempts, and I have an eating disorder on top of the severe bipolar disorder

And so now I go once a week for like 3 hours to:

Get my meds dispensed into a pill organizer, 1 week at a time

Meet with my social worker, John, who brings me to McDonalds and buys me a diet coke

Meet with my therapist, Justin, who ghosted me for the past 3 months but now I’m meeting with him again

Meet with my psychiatrist, Eleanor, who is a WILD WOMAN. She wants me to quit vaping really badly because my O2 was 94. She thinks ground flaxseed is able to replace the huge doses of laxatives I’m on

I’m sitting in the waiting room rn and John came up to me and got my attention, asked me if I had gotten my meds yet (no) and then was like “i’ll meet with you IN A MINUTE i’m in a meeting” and then went into the bathroom

no idea what i did to make him think i was about to hop out of my seat or smth

[iplaywithstring]

I went back to school a year ago to become a human services counsellor. HSC is a professional position that most people have never heard of, but they exist in a lot of places. Basically, HSCs cover the gaps between what social workers, therapists etc. are able to do and what individuals need.

It's case management and program facilitation and support work and community outings and follow up and things like that. I can work in shelters, group homes, treatment centres, schools. I can work alongside teachers or social workers or doctors setting up plans for individuals and families to adjust to any sort of diagnosis or crisis.

As part of my program I'm doing two on the job training placements. The first one was in a supportive housing program, mostly working with individuals who had either been homeless or incarcerated (or both), although a few of them were in the program because they needed supportive housing due to disabilities. I was following one of the case managers, the main goal was building relationships with the tenants, helping them identify goals and connecting them with the resources and supports they needed to reach those goals.

My next placement is going to be in a middle school under an EA, possibly doing some behaviour intervention plans (I'll find out for sure next week). Very different scenario! I did not plan on working with youth, but I figure it's a good idea to get some experience and then decide for sure if that's an area I want to work in or not. There are some perks (like being done before 3pm each day!), but I'm anticipating it will be a lot harder on me physically because of the group setting, noise, and general chaos. My ME/CFS is mild and my health has been really stable this year, I'm hoping it stays that way for the 12 weeks!

As of right now, I'd love to find a position in housing or addictions. Most of the addictions positions they do want you to have a few years experience though, so that might need to wait. The organization I was with in the spring might be hiring around when I graduate, and that would be amazing.

I will graduate in November, then take a test to start the process of registering (which is optional, but it makes sense to do). I did not expect to be starting a new career at 39, after 15 years of not working, but I have no regrets.

[decriminalizedrugsoregon]

Blog Deliverable 2 

As stated in my initial post, Measure 110- the Drug Treatment and Recovery Act- was passed in a landslide decision with 74%+ of Multnomah County voters in favor (Haas, 2020). After the passing of the act, current Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt’s office stated that “Past punitive drug policies and laws resulted in over-policing of diverse communities, heavy reliance on correctional facilities and a failure to promote public safety and health. It’s time to move beyond these failed practices, expand access to treatment and focus our limited law enforcement resources to target high-level, commercial drug offenses” (Haas, 2020). This brings forward important emphasis on certain areas of drug criminalization that are more harmful than helpful- especially noting the emphasis of the over-policing of diverse communities. Drug criminalization is based in racism, and we saw, and will continue to see in states that do not work towards decriminalization, that black men are incarcerated at a significantly higher rate than other races for non violent drug related crimes; in 2001, decades after the supposed war on drugs began, America had a higher incarceration rate for black man than apartheid South Africa (Boyd, 2001). 

There are some professionals who feel as though Oregon should repeal the act, arguing that with none of the outside pressures from law enforcement to encourage people to get clean, the act has simply encouraged drug use and exacerbated addiction (Dooris & Mann, 2022). There are a few things that this article fails to acknowledge, however, including the cost of going through rehabilitation and rehabilitation services. That is a key component to rehabilitation, and without the support of friends and family, many of those suffering from addiction cannot afford it, hence the importance of services like Multnomah County Harm Reduction.     

Multnomah County offers a Harm Reduction clinic, which offers services such as syringe exchanges, overdose kits that include a drug that can reverse opioid addictions called Naloxone, wound and abscess care, and referrals to treatment facilities (Syringe Exchange, 2022). While these clinics are great, there are a few flaws. These clinics and their partners primarily reside in Southeast Portland, however, with only one available location in Southwest Portland. Beyond just the county, there are several other services that offer harm reduction, such as Project RED, a harm reduction initiative from Alano Club of Portland in Northwest. The program was originally started by Ellen Wirshup, who started by distributing supplies in case of overdose, as well as educational material to help anyone who may face barriers to access to drug specific health services. She later began partnering with the Alano Club, where their primary focus is service and entertainment workers who are likely to fall into the traps of addiction, and lack the resources to make changes (ABOUT, n.d.). Alongside their original services, they also now offer information and help to those looking for professional help and treatment facilities. Another Portland area project focusing on harm reduction outreach is the Portland Peoples Outreach Project (PPOP). Similarly to Project RED, PPOP ddistributes clean syringes, pipes, Narcan, safer sex supplies, wound care, and a variety of other harm reduction services. PPOP is located in St. Johns area, and is need based, meaning that rather than having people drop off used syringes or equipment in order to receive clean supplies, they distribute to anyone who may be in need (Portland People’s Outreach Project, n.d.). 

ABOUT. (n.d.). Project RED. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://projectredinitiative.org/about

Boyd, G. (2001, July). The War on Drugs is the New Jim Crow. American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://www.aclu.org/other/drug-war-new-jim-crow 

Dooris, P., & Mann, D. (2022, September 27). Experts Criticize Oregon’s Drug Decriminalization Policy. KGW8. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/oregons-drug-decriminalization-flaws/283-6b5c022f-f437-4476-ba44-c6d163ca6d7b 

Haas, R. (2020, December 18). Multnomah County prosecutor adopts drug decriminalization measure months early. Opb. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.opb.org/article/2020/12/17/multnomah-county-adopt-measure-110-drug-decriminalization/

Portland People’s Outreach Project. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2022, from http://www.portlandpeoplesoutreach.org/ 

Syringe Exchange. (2022, September 7). Multnomah County. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.multco.us/hiv-and-std-services/syringe-exchange-and-disposal 

[tafsircareercounselor]

Addiction and Community Service Program in Toronto

Addictions and Community Service Workers (ACSWs) play a crucial role in Canada's healthcare and social services system. They are professionals trained to assist individuals and communities in dealing with addiction issues, mental health challenges, and various social and community-related concerns.

Studying for a diploma in Addictions and Community Service Worker at ABM College in Toronto offers numerous advantages and opportunities for aspiring professionals in this field. A comprehensive curriculum that covers all aspects of addiction counseling, mental health support, and community service work are offered here. You'll receive a well-rounded education that prepares you for a diverse range of roles in this field. 

ABM College's program is designed to prepare you for certification and licensing, such as becoming a Certified Addiction Counselor. This credential enhances your credibility and employability in the field. Our dedicated faculty members bring a wealth of real-world experience and expertise to the classroom. They are passionate about your success and provide valuable insights to help you excel in your studies and future career.

Ready to make a difference? Enroll in ABM College's Addictions and Community Service Worker Program today!

[atlanticcanada]

Halifax hospital discharges patient who threatened self-harm hours earlier

The father of a 23-year-old man who struggles with addiction and mental health issues is speaking out over what he believes are significant gaps in mental health and addictions service in Nova Scotia.

Marc Nantel says his son is addicted to drugs and has recently threatened to harm himself. He says his son was in and out of the QEII Health Sciences Centre three times this past week.

One night while inside, Nantel says his son pretended to go to the bathroom but instead grabbed fire extinguishers, set off alarms and went onto of the roof of the hospital where his father said he threatened to jump.

Nantel says the police responded, talked his son down and the next morning his son was released from the hospital.

“When somebody threatens to jump off the roof of the building especially the hospital they’re being attended at and then less than 12 hours later have three psychiatrists -- two legit psychiatrists and a student -- stand in front of you and tell you know we have nowhere to put you. You have to leave,” he said.

In between two of the times his son was in hospital this past week, Nantel says he dropped his son off at an appointment at a recovery support centre in Dartmouth.

“And they told him ‘we have no place to put you, we have no rooms, there’s no rooms in the shelter. Your best option is to go from shelter to shelter to see where you can find a place to stay,’” he said.

After the past week, Nantel is sending his son to a detox program in Montreal, which he said he and his family have to pay for.

“I can do that in 12 hours and send him to a different province. But yet in 72 hours, I cannot get my son to mental health help in my own province that I pay taxes and that he pays taxes,” he said.

Nova Scotia Health (NSH) spokesperson Brendan Elliott said NSH can’t comment on a specific patient’s care and treatment but says when someone visits the emergency department experiencing a mental health crisis it is always taken extremely seriously.

“The decision to keep someone in hospital is made by gaining an understanding of the whole person – not by a single moment or incident,” Elliott said, pointing out it’s important to note not everyone seeking mental health and addictions care requires treatment from a psychiatrist or an inpatient stay.

“If we can identify a plan that includes ongoing care and resources in the community, that person may not need to remain in hospital,” he said.

On Thursday afternoon, a social worker with Nova Scotia Health’s Mental Health Urgent Care Service reached out to Nantel’s son to offer help.

Nantel said his son declined for now because he and his son are leaving for Montreal Friday morning to begin his son’s detox program.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/qR0Wetb

[sureshborole123]

Role of Social Workers in Hospital and Healthcare

Introduction

According to Dr. Suresh Borole, the role of the social worker in the hospital perspective is very important for Patients with a range of health issues can get assistance and support from the hospital or medical social workers. For psychosocial issues, hospitalized patients can need a social worker. These might be linked to a physical condition or other health-related concerns, or they might be linked to a psychosocial issue like mental illness or homelessness. Medical social workers must do several tasks due to the complexity of the hospital environment.

Here are 4 Roles of Social Workers in Hospital

1. Collaboration

A major responsibility of the medical social worker is a collaboration with healthcare professionals. A multidisciplinary treatment team, which consists of experts including nurses, doctors, physician assistants, and physical therapists, performs this. The social worker contributes to communication between the patient, other team members, and the patient's family. Communication can be difficult since different providers have different perspectives, but the social worker's job is to make it easier so that the patient gets the best treatment possible.

2. Support

It might be stressful to be in the hospital. Social workers offer supportive counseling to patients and their families as a result. Patients dealing with addiction and chronic pain, as well as those facing mortality, disability, terminal disease, and social and mental health issues, can all benefit from the assistance of social workers. Patients with similar issues may benefit from group or individual counseling from social workers. Social workers are qualified to provide clinical and mental health services as needed because of their training in counseling, therapeutic approaches, and the treatment of behavioral and mental health conditions.

3. Advocacy

Medical social workers represent patients' interests as advocates. This can entail communicating the patient's willingness to the family and the medical staff or ensuring that the patient is provided with appropriate information regarding his or her care and treatment. The creation of advanced directives, which provide specific instructions regarding the patient's desires regarding medical end-of-life decision-making, is a task that social workers help patients with frequently.

4. Case Management

As case managers, medical social workers coordinate the care of their patients. This may involve putting patients in touch with prosocial services. A social worker might, for instance, assist a patient who is homeless in finding a shelter or housing program. Medical social workers frequently participate in the discharge planning process as well as the organization of post-care services including at-home care, follow-up visits, or, if necessary, locating the patient in a rehabilitation center.

[navjyotifoundationindia]

Nasha Mukti Kendra in Kaithal: Transforming Lives with Compassionate Care

Nasha Mukti Kendra in Kaithal are instrumental in addressing the pervasive issue of substance abuse in various regions of India, including Kaithal. Among these centers, the Navjyoti Foundation has emerged as a beacon of hope, offering holistic rehabilitation services aimed at empowering individuals to overcome addiction and lead fulfilling lives.

Understanding the Challenge of Substance Abuse in Kaithal

Kaithal, like many other regions in India, faces significant challenges related to substance abuse. The misuse of drugs and alcohol not only jeopardizes individual health but also strains familial relationships and community cohesion. In response to this pressing issue, Nasha Mukti Kendras play a crucial role in providing structured support and treatment to individuals seeking recovery.

Role of Nasha Mukti Kendras in Kaithal

Nasha Mukti Kendras serve as comprehensive treatment centers where individuals receive medical detoxification, psychological counseling, therapy sessions, and skill development programs. These centers are designed to offer a safe and supportive environment conducive to recovery, addressing both the physical and psychological aspects of addiction.

Navjyoti Foundation's Approach to Rehabilitation

The Navjyoti Foundation in Kaithal adopts a compassionate and holistic approach to addiction recovery. Led by a team of dedicated professionals including doctors, psychologists, and social workers, the foundation provides personalized care tailored to the individual needs of each patient. Their approach combines evidence-based medical interventions with psychological support and vocational training, ensuring a well-rounded recovery process.

Impact on Individuals and Families

For individuals struggling with addiction and their families, Nasha Mukti Kendras represent a ray of hope. Patients undergo transformative journeys where they learn to manage cravings, rebuild relationships, and regain control over their lives. The supportive environment offered by these centers not only facilitates recovery but also empowers individuals to reintegrate into society as productive members.

Community Outreach and Education

Beyond individual treatment, Nasha Mukti Kendras like the one in Kaithal actively engage in community outreach and educational initiatives. They collaborate with local schools, organizations, and government agencies to raise awareness about substance abuse, promote preventive measures, and reduce stigma associated with addiction. By fostering dialogue and education, these centers contribute to creating a supportive environment for recovery.

Challenges and Achievements

Operating a Nasha Mukti Kendra comes with its own set of challenges, including financial constraints and societal misconceptions about addiction. However, organizations like the Navjyoti Foundation have achieved significant milestones in addiction rehabilitation, with numerous success stories demonstrating the effectiveness of their holistic approach.

Future Directions and Sustainability

Looking ahead, the future of Nasha Mukti Kendra in Kaithal depends on continued support from stakeholders, innovative treatment approaches, and community involvement. Expansion of facilities, enhancement of treatment protocols, and integration of technology-driven solutions are essential for meeting the evolving needs of individuals seeking recovery.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Nasha Mukti Kendras such as the one operated by the Navjyoti Foundation in Kaithal play a pivotal role in combating addiction and restoring hope to individuals and families. Through their compassionate care and holistic treatment programs, these centers provide a pathway to recovery, empowering individuals to reclaim their lives from the grips of addiction. As communities unite to address the challenges of substance abuse, the role of organizations like the Navjyoti Foundation becomes increasingly crucial in building a healthier and drug-free society.

In essence, Nasha Mukti Kendras exemplify resilience and commitment, offering transformative support to individuals in Kaithal and beyond who are affected by addiction.

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Dr. V. Sajeev: A Pillar of Strength and Compassion in Chadayamangalam

Dr. V. Sajeev, a name synonymous with dedication, empathy, and unparalleled medical expertise, has been serving the village of Chadayamangalam and its surrounding rural areas for over 35 years. A revered physician and an ardent advocate for social responsibility, Dr. Sajeev's relentless dedication to his community is a testament to his noble spirit and unwavering commitment to health and wellness.

❄️Educational Background and Early Career

Dr. V. Sajeev's journey in the medical field began at a humble government school, followed by his pursuit of higher education at the esteemed Government University College in Trivandrum. He subsequently earned his M.B.B.S degree from Government Medical College, Trivandrum, and further enriched his medical knowledge with a PGCCFC from Kerala University.

In 1990, driven by a vision to provide accessible and quality healthcare, Dr. Sajeev inaugurated his clinic in Chadayamangalam. This clinic, designed to offer 24-hour services including inpatient facilities, became a beacon of hope for the residents of this rural area.

❄️Harisree De-Addiction Center: A Noble Endeavor

2009 marked a pivotal year in Dr. Sajeev's illustrious career with the establishment of the Harisree De-Addiction Center. Under his astute leadership, this center has treated over 50,000 patients battling addictions to alcohol, smoking, and drugs. Today, the facility is equipped to admit 50 patients, providing comprehensive care and rehabilitation services.

Dr. Sajeev's approach extends beyond the confines of the center, as he regularly organizes medical camps and awareness programs in schools, colleges, and among ASHA workers, residents' associations, and tribal communities. His initiatives also include yoga classes and events based on national observation dates, fostering a holistic approach to health and well-being.

❄️Family and Personal Life

Dr. Sajeev's personal life is equally inspiring. He is happily married to Jaya, and together they have raised a family of accomplished doctors. Their sons, Dr. Amithabh and Dr. Amrithabh, are both psychiatrists, while their daughter, Dr. Sreepriya, has also chosen the noble path of medicine.

❄️Leadership and Recognitions

Beyond his medical practice, Dr. Sajeev has actively contributed to various professional and social organizations. He has served as the President of the Indian Medical Association's Kerala State Anchal branch and has held numerous positions within Lions Clubs International for over 20 years. His exceptional service and dedication have earned him numerous accolades from various organizations and media outlets, further cementing his reputation as a distinguished and socially responsible physician.