#occupational therapy in substance abuse

[mukelaniot]

REFLECTIONS ON MY COMMUNITY BLOCK: A 4TH YEAR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

As I write what I believe is my last blog of the year, possibly and hopefully the last blog I will ever write as a student, I reflect on my journey in my community block. For the past 5 weeks, I have had the pleasure and the privilege to serve the Cator Manor Community and the people at the Denis Hurley Center. I have to say, I am filled with gratitude to have been exposed to such a community. Not only has it helped shape me as a student, but it has also helped teach me invaluable lessons that I believe will be useful to me as a future health practitioner.

Serving the Cator Manor community, an under-resourced community with most of the people falling in the lower socio-economic status, I encountered and worked with people with various health challenges including, but not limited to hand injuries, strokes, people in need of wheelchairs, and children with ASD. While working in this community, I came to realize that contrary to my preconceived assumptions about community practice, even though the people come from the same community and share similar cultural backgrounds, each of them has their own story. By understanding that, I believe I was then able to fulfill our roles of promoting health and well-being (AOTA,2020), and ensuring people can participate in occupations meaningful to them. Through collaboration with other healthcare practitioners in the clinic, which included, but was not limited to, having joint sessions with physiotherapists, we did our part in fulfilling the aim of holistic care through the Multidisciplinary approach, which optimized outcomes for our clients (Bonder & Dal Santo, 2018). 

Personally, throughout this blog, my favorite task was running group sessions. With the occasional assistance from my colleague, I ran the Women's Support Group, to create a haven for women to share their struggles while creating a community that fosters a sense of universality, and empowerment (Change, 2023). In the Substance Abuse group, I witnessed the power of community support as group members actively supported each other in their recovery journey (Baker, 2024). I learned to utilize the group members who are further along in their recovery road to encourage others by sharing their stories and coping strategies. These 2 projects, I hold dear and am passionate about, as I have personally witnessed a lot of people in need of such groups in my own community, which includes family members of my own.  In a local high school, my colleagues and I ran groups that allowed us to target the youth through mental health promotions, education, and addressing underlying issues at an early age.

However, my journey was not without challenges. At some point during my community block, a colleague and I had a traumatic experience where we were mugged of our personal belongings. It was very hard as we had to go back to that same community. Matters did not get any better when I ran into the of my victimizers in the community at some point, which triggered me as I felt unsafe, frustrated, and frankly, quite vengeful. This led to feelings of PTSD, as I felt unsafe when serving the individuals in the DHC, as I was constantly on edge and in a defensive mode as if someone were to attack me at any time. After realizing how this was impacting how I was serving the community, I started to reconsider the idea of seeking therapy. So, I digest…

Anyway, I am proud to report that throughout this block and academic year, I discovered my ability to be resilient, and to rise above adversity.  As I come a step closer to concluding my training as a student, I plan to take these lessons and acquire the tools I learned along the way to continue to strive to carry the values of Occupational therapy to communities I have yet to serve.

REFERENCES

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed.). AOTA Press.

Baker, S. (2024, March 1). The Importance of Building a Community in Addiction Recovery. Iron Bridge Recovery Center. https://ironbridgerecovery.com/articles/the-importance-of-building-a-community-in-addiction-recovery/

Bonder, B. R., & Dal Santo, J. (2018). Occupational therapy in community-based practice settings. Jones & Bartlett Learning

Change, A. of. (2023, October 16). Empowerment in Social Work: Techniques and Importance. Agents of Change Social Work Test Prep. https://agentsofchangeprep.com/blog/empowerment-in-social-work-techniques-and-importance/

[1stproviderchoice]

Why You Need Occupational Therapy Practice Management Software for Your Clinic

Running an occupational therapy clinic involves managing multiple tasks, from scheduling appointments and billing to tracking patient progress and maintaining accurate documentation. To streamline these processes and enhance the efficiency of your clinic, it is essential to invest in Occupational Therapy Practice Management Software. This software provides comprehensive solutions to manage various aspects of your clinic, ensuring smooth operations and improved patient care.

Efficient Appointment Scheduling

One of the key features of Occupational Therapy EMR Software is its ability to streamline appointment scheduling. With this software, you can easily view and manage your clinic's schedule, ensuring that appointments are properly scheduled and allocated according to therapist availability. This helps eliminate scheduling conflicts and reduces the risk of overbooking, ensuring optimal use of resources and maximizing productivity.

Streamlined Billing and Claims Management

Occupational Therapy EMR automates the billing process, making it easier and more efficient for your clinic. The software allows you to generate and send accurate, itemized invoices to patients and insurance providers, reducing the chances of errors and delays in payment. Additionally, the software can automatically process insurance claims, saving time and effort for your staff.

Comprehensive Documentation

Accurate and up-to-date documentation is crucial in occupational therapy clinics. Occupational Therapy Practice Management Software provides a centralized platform to maintain comprehensive patient records, including treatment plans, progress notes, and assessments. This not only ensures easy access to patient information but also helps in generating detailed reports for insurance purposes or audits.

Improved Communication and Collaboration

Effective communication and collaboration are essential in any healthcare setting. Occupational Therapy EMR facilitates seamless communication among therapists, support staff, and patients. The software allows secure messaging, enabling therapists to easily communicate with patients and share important information. Moreover, it provides a platform for therapists to collaborate and share resources, fostering a cohesive and efficient work environment.

Be it Occupational Therapy Practice Management EMR Software, Substance Abuse EMR Software, Urgent Care Practice Management, or Ophthalmology EMR, we at 1st Providers Choice can assist.

Enhanced Data Security and Compliance

The EMR software prioritizes data security and compliance with HIPAA regulations. The software ensures that patient information is securely stored and accessed only by authorized personnel. Additionally, it streamlines the process of maintaining compliance with documentation requirements and audit trails, reducing the risk of legal and regulatory issues.

Conclusion

Investing in occupational therapy EMR is a wise decision for any clinic aiming to enhance its efficiency and provide better patient care. By utilizing this EMR software, you can optimize your clinic's workflow, save time and resources, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Occupational therapy EMR is an essential tool for any occupational therapy clinic seeking to streamline its operations and enhance patient care. With its comprehensive features and benefits, this EMR software can revolutionize the way your clinic manages appointments, billing, documentation, communication, and data security. Embracing technology and implementing this software will undoubtedly lead to increased productivity, improved efficiency, and ultimately, better patient outcomes. For quality Occupational Therapy Practice Management Software, you can get in touch with 1st Providers Choice.

[dahliaduvide]

I've been digging into the life of Jeremy Wade Delle, beyond just the day of his death that is immortalized in the Pearl Jam song we all know so well.

One thing Jeremy Delle and I have in common is that we both spent time in a psych hospital in our teenage years. We both ended up in adolescent wards of large chain hospitals. My experience wasn't completely negative, but I don't think it helped anyone but my mother.

Jeremy Delle was hospitalized in April of 1990 after what is believed to have been his first suicide attempt.

His parents put him in Timberlawn Psychiatric Hospital where he started seeing a doctor that continued to treat him until his death by suicide on January 8, 1991. He actually had completed a session with his doctor the afternoon before he died.

The redacted police report gives only a small amount of information about the doctor that Jeremy Delle was seeing. His name is given as Dr. Bob H####, and as Dr. Robert H#### on a card that the police found in Mr. Delle's wallet. This card lists two phone numbers for the doctor. The first if the general number for the Timberlawn facility, but the other number is likely a direct line to the doctor's office.

The information given in the July 1990 list of hospitals printed in D Magazine, a local Dallas publication, about Timberlawn is "4600 Samuell Blvd, Dallas. 381-7181. Psychiatric hospital; 232 beds; offers chemical dependency treatment, occupational therapy, and psychiatric unit". That's the same as the first phone number listed on the card on Jeremy Delle's wallet card. The second is 381-6327.

Without a last name, I couldn't search for any other mentions of the doctor in public records (and I didn't find anything relevant using the phone number), but there were certainly a few articles about Timberlawn. More than a few, I had to winnow them down to the ones that seemed most relevant to what Jeremy Delle might have experienced during his stay there.

This article from June 1990 explains the sudden growth in the industry in Texas. The financial motivations behind it have very distinct consequences that the article outlines: patients rarely stay longer than their insurance foots the bill.

When the money runs out everyone- adult, teenager, addict, seems to be miraculously cured.

There are several claims of misconduct by care providers throughout the time surrounding Jeremy Delle's stay at Timberlawn.

May 1988: A Dallas woman is admitted to the substance abuse program at Timberlawn. In February 1996, when she is in her early 30s, she alleges misconduct by her doctor during her stay at Timberlawn.

May 1991: In March 1993, a patient alleges he was pursued by his doctor after seeking treatment at Timberlawn for depression after the end of his marriage. He also alleges that she initiated an inappropriate romantic and sexual relationship which lasted from November 1991 to February 1992.

Obviously, Mr. Delle would have been, or at least should have been, housed in separate adolescent areas from any adult patients, but he might have seen the same doctors. Particularly because he was treated for substance abuse. I have some doubts about whether he was actually using any drugs or not, but I'll put that together in another post with some supporting documents.

I also found these court documents from 2009 relating to a patient that was hospitalized in the Timberlawn facility as a minor. She claims to have been raped by an older male patient due to inadequate supervision of the patients by staff and a lack of private space available to patients. No dates or ages are given, however, so it's impossible to know if this happened within the early 90s. However, if Jeremy Delle had survived until 2009 he would have been in his mid-20s, which is when childhood traumas begin to be understood by a maturing mind.

I'm not a lawyer and couldn't even pretend to be one on the internet, so I won't claim to understand anything about what is happening, but I can read through it and capture other facts about who, where, when, etc. If anybody with a better understanding of USA or Texas state law wants to shed some light on this that would be helpful.

I wasn't able to find any further information about the progress or outcomes of these cases, so I've chosen not to include the names of the staff accused, but they are included in the media coverage if anyone would like to search through news databases that aren't freely available online. I can only research the documents I can find, and unfortunately I don't have access to any academic databases at the moment, either.

My personal opinion is that whatever started Jeremy Delle down a troubled path started before he got to Timberlawn and the care of Dr. H.

I do think this line of research is important for understanding whether or not Mr. Delle received effective or adequate care as his mental illness spiraled out of control.

It strikes me that these stories about Timberlawn confirm and debunk some of the conceptions we have about this particular young man's life from the song written about him in 1991 by Eddie Vedder and Jason Ament. Jeremy Wade Delle was failed by everyone in his life with the power to help him as he started to sink under the waves of his illness. But his parents didn't ignore it completely, they tried to get him help. Maybe not when his illness first manifested, but as soon as his first 'cry for help' came in the form of a suicide attempt, they put him in a hospital that was known to be the best in their area. One with a developing, supposedly cutting edge, program for adolescents and those suffering from substance abuse. They most likely brought him home when the hospital said he was better. Sadly that might have had more to do with how long the hospital knew that insurance would foot the bill and not Mr. Delle's actual mental health.

The story is no less tragic than the story Pearl Jam spins in their song, but it's far more nuanced.

And it's still a great song.

[comorbidityqueen]

Hi! Hello! my name is Taylor and i'm a 31 year old brain injury survivor. I haven't used tumblr since i was a teenager and im not sure if i can pin this post so it comes up first so excuse my lack of tumblr navigation.

I wanted to create this space as a gentle reminder to myself that my writing matters and also as a way for other disabled folk to find some relatability or relief knowing they are not alone. I'm hoping it could also educate others on just the severity of what we go through on a daily basis.

i'm not sure if anything will eventuate from this but if i give one person insight into something they previously knew nothing about then hey, that's cool. So a little bit about me...

i am a scorpio sun, aquarius moon and capricorn rising with a sag merc + venus and cancer mars (oof, right?!). Astrology aside, im a 31 year old living with an acquired brain injury in Adelaide, Australia (Kaurna Land).

When i was 12 years old, 3 days before my 13th birthday, i suffered a right MCA (Middle Cerebral Artery) CVA (Cerebral Vascular Accident). Basically, i had a massive stroke deep in the middle right side of my brain. I was at school at the time and my school didn't call an ambulance straight away. Negligence (sprinkled with ignorance) aside, i was unable to receive medical intervention leaving me permanently disabled for the rest of my life. I suffered with full left side hemiplegia, seizures, cognitive deficits and a substantial amount of teenage angst at the time along with some hysterical laughter. I have now learnt that was something called the pseudobulbar affect and that i wasn't actually losing my mind, that i had just suffered a significant trauma and my brain was like "nah man". My nana died on the same day and i hysterically laughed when my parents told me a few weeks into my 3 month inpatient stay where i had physiotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. I like to think she was my guardian angel. I learnt to walk and talk again, actually, i had to learn everything again and after numerous tests and scans, the hospital informed me that a genetic mutation was the cause. A compound heterozygous MTHFR (Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) which can predispose to thromboembolism to be exact, and yes I still interpret the acronym as motherfu*cker, because it sure was to me and my family at that time.

Over the last almost 19 years i have spent working hard on a body i never signed up to have. I have survived not only an ABI but relentless bullying, substance abuse, trauma's and grief along the way. As i've aged i have regressed, and in 2021 after sustaining a concussion and being diagnosed with concussion syndrome, things got a lot harder and my mobility suffered greatly. With that came debilitating daily migraines, stroke regressions, chronic pain and worsening mental health problems.

I do weekly physiotherapy and have been very fortunate to benefit from NDIS here in Australia. My goal is to eventually become a disability and mental health advocate, while still somehow working on my mobility on a daily basis and trying to survive.

i'm not sure how often this will be used depending on the availability of spoons, but if anyone has any questions about brain injury please don't hesitate to use the ask me anything button ☺️

[feastonkings]

avan jogia / they/them/any  ———  no way is that RIVER PATEL.. they’re a 30-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being INDULGENT  &  NEEDY but there are some people who have seen them being AFFECTIONATE  &  ENTERTAINING.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of waxing poetics in everyday conversation, a crystal for every occasion, bohemian but make it sexier, draping over people and furniture like a cat demanding attention, and a rainbow of chaos, but that could just be because they’re considered the SEER around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..

GENERAL.

full name: river celeste halcyon patel nicknames: riv, rivvy, stardust (stage name) classification: enhanced human gender / pronouns: genderqueer, they/them/any age / birthday: 30, february 7th orientations: pansexual, panromantic, polyamorous occupation: co-owner of the broom closet, metaphysical expert, & dancer at the kit-kat club status: open family: luna patel ( mother, deceased ), parthiv patel ( father, deceased ) strengths: affectionate, entertaining, loving, creative, playful weaknesses: indulgent, impulsive, needy, promiscuous, flighty character inspo: ambrose spellman (chilling adventures of sabrina), klaus hargreeves (umbrella academy), eric effiong (sex education), phoebe buffay (friends), mouse (doormouse), nymphadora tonks (harry potter), jules vaughn (euphoria), jesper fahey (shadow & bone), jenny curran (forrest gump), riley blue (sense8), jaskier (witcher), veronica fisher (shameless), ulysses zane (now apocalypse)

BIOGRAPHY.

tw: addiction, death, overdose, abuse, chronic illness

born in new orleans, to two loving and hardworking parents. they lived in the lower ninth ward, in a small two bedroom home. money wasn’t abundant, but there was enough to give them everything they needed.

river was born with type one diabetes and has required insulin to function properly from the start.

their father, worked as a street musician and helped their mother at the metaphysical shop she owned. along with the shop, luna was a well known wiccan and head of one of the many local covens.

with the global environment declining over the years, tropical storm season had become even more dangerous. one particular hurricane hit the city and the big easy didn't stand a chance. over half the city was affected, the lower income areas the worst. hundreds died and among them were river's parents.

they were pushed into the system, foster families that were near capacity with displaced children. river couldn't stand it. hated the clothes they put them in, the way the tried to bring them to church, bringing them to therapy, throwing away their crystals and trying to cut their hair. it didn't take long until they'd run away.

at twelve years old, they were on their own. bouncing from family friend to family friend until their best friend's family got word and took them in as one of their own.

they appreciated everything that family did for them and the strong bond they had with their friend, it was more than they could've asked for. being accepted for who they were and loved made all the difference in helping them survive their teen years.

at the age of seventeen, they decided to get their ged and river said the hardest goodbyes to new orleans and their second hom when they left to go travel the country.

on their own and in their travels, many things were learned. one being how to survive off nothing, as they struggled to find any kind of work. river was not very reliable when it came to day jobs and set schedules, though they attempted to adapt.

the biggest struggle was this constant feeling of emptiness along with rotating periods of random moods that would sometimes come about for no reason at all. it had been there since losing their family and most of the time they just rode it out. in the worst times they turned to substances for help, as they’d done in the past. this lead them down a spiral of abusive relationships, bad run ins with dealers and law enforcement, shady work to keep afloat, etc.

away from home and lacking inhibition, they ended up becoming a garbage disposal for the many options of drugs available in america's underground; using them to fill a void they couldn’t close no matter how hard they tried until it almost killed them.

which is exactly what happened, they ended up overdosing in an all-night diner's bathroom and when they woke up they were in a hospital room with no clue what had happened. it gave them a wake up call for sure, and it was decided that they needed to start over.

after a couple years and many failures, river managed to hitch a ride as far as texas. they had a good feeling about dallas and updated those in new orleans where they were. that was when they were told of the trust money their parents left behind for river to be given to them when they reached the age of twenty-five.

the temptation was there to blow the money on more travels and parties but it was quickly squashed. it was an obvious sign from the stars and they decided to go all in on a new venture, opening up a shop with a close friend called the broom closet.

the new distractions did not shake the vices they picked up on the road but they certainly slowed them down. they are trying their best to kick their many bad habits so that one day they will thrive in the world again.

beyond that they used their natural knack for seduction and flirtatious nature to make money for the shop and meet new people by dancing at the kit-kat club. determined something would come of their life someday.

when they aren’t working at either of their jobs, they can be found writing lyrics or poetry, dancing, partying, or sneaking out of the home of one of their many casual romantic encounters. river is excited for the future and whatever the new start would bring for them in this cyber metropolis.

HEADCANONS.

river has type one diabetes and has a pump to regulate it better. it’s important they are able to see a medical professional regularly. they also wear a medical alert bracelet with this information.

they despise sleeping alone, whether it be from having people around them in close quarters for most of their life or just the loathing of being alone in general, they tend to stick close to people if they can sleep at all.

comparable to a cat they can sleep anywhere and will curl up or drape themselves over people for affection.

they wear their heart on their sleeve and fall in love quite easy, unfortunately their over devotion and wandering eyes have made it difficult to hold any long term relationship except with one person who has always understood the amount of love they have and just because they love someone it does not mean they love another any less.

river has a long history of casual relationships and having a select few they are fully committed to exclusively, however they develop deep feelings for people easily and adore them long after any romance leaves. they are very open with their sexuality and the love of the human body. river has often used casual sex as another coping mechanism and occasional self-destructive tendency.

they love dancing, parties, poetry, and music - they also adore talking to people and will be happy to introduce themselves to anyone and everyone

music has always had a strong place in their life, though they've never had the desire to pursue it professionally. they can play almost any guitar, bass, piano, pan flute, viola, and harmonica.

river can speak spanish, french, creole, american sign language and some hindi besides english

more to come

[cyberneticatoms]

no way is that IKE DUTTON..they’re a 28-year-old SYNTH notoriously known for being SPITEFUL & TEMPERAMENTAL but there are some people who have seen them being TRUTHFUL & LOYAL. if you ask me, they remind me a lot of vodka in a water bottle, sun’s heat on your shoulders, and bleeding knuckles, but that could just be because they’re considered the HOT-BLOODED around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..

↳ 𝚀𝚄𝙸𝙲𝙺 𝙵𝙰𝙲𝚃𝚂

NAME: Iker Matthew Dutton NICKNAMES: Ike, Hates being confused for Ian DATE OF BIRTH: June 30th (28) HEIGHT: 5'11 AFFILIATION: Neutral  OCCUPATION: Bouncer at The Obelisk FACECLAIM: Chay Suede

TW: child abuse, drug abuse, alcohol abuse

↳ 𝙱𝙰𝙲𝙺𝙶𝚁𝙾𝚄𝙽𝙳

❖ Ike came into this world kicking and screaming, over the years not much has changed on that front. They grew up with their twin brother Ian in a trailer park with their parents. A work injury that left the family with too many bills and later substance abuse, Ike grew up with a physically abusive dad and a neglectful mom. The only highlights were when DJ would come pick them up to take them to their grandmother's house. ❖ At least that was the only highlight, until they turned 8 and DJ enlisted for the Coast Guard without telling anyone until the last minute. Up until that point they'd been having behavior issues at school that only increased without guidance from DJ or their grandmother. ❖ This had the school popping into to check at home more and more, whenever they came by Ian cleaned everything up and helped their parents sober up enough to get through the interviews. ❖ Ike felt guilty their twin was doing so much, both scared of the odds of getting separated if they were removed from the house. Still they couldn't stop lashing out and picking fights any moment that they could. When DJ came back on leave was when things changed again. ❖ While they grateful DJ was able to get them to permanently stay with their grandmother, they were still resentful over feeling abandoned. It wasn't until DJ's best friend and future wife, Dahlia, managed to get through to Ike, that they were finally able to forgive him. Seeing the two as their parents in the same way that Ian did. Their cousin Zel had also been living with them, as the three were the same age DJ started calling them the triplets. ❖ After graduating high school, they joined the Coast Guard alongside their two brothers. During one of their leaves they learned DJ and Dahlia had rescued Val, who had come to the club looking for help. Of all their siblings, Val is the one Ike gets along with best, the two quick to shit talk or get into shenanigans. ❖ Currently they work as a bouncer, like DJ they don't trust anyone who works for the Big Three or the Mafia. Having a personal grudge against both, especially with arguing with a corporate drone over them trying to buy out the club.

↳ 𝙼𝙸𝚂𝙲

• In a band with their siblings Ike, Zel, and Val along with their friend Eva. The band is called Three by Five, they usually play drums though occasionally switch with Ian whose on bass. • While in high school was officially diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder and ADHD. They were afraid of their family trying to have them reprogrammed, instead they were given the choice. They opted for therapy and medication, while they still have their bad days, their mental health is a lot more manageable thanks to a good support system and healthier outlets.

[redwoodwv-hq]

Name: Isaac Apatow Age: 57 Town Occupation: Council Member + Head Raider Previous Occupation: Manager of halfway house Redwood Resident Length: Since creation Faceclaim: Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Bullet Points:

Ike lives in Boneyard Cottage, outside the town walls by the cemetery.

Ike’s still very influenced by his upbringing in Ark but he’s an old white guy and doesn’t have much insight into this despite rehab therapy. He’s a compartmentalizer.

He believes in God and prayer but hates evangelism. Working with a vulnerable population stripped him of most of his bigotry, but his weird beliefs come out in different ways.

He'll get tattooed at the drop of a hat.

Being a raider gives him an outlet for his nervous energy and yen for the unexpected. 

He worked an insane number of random jobs while he was addicted and had no fixed address, so he's got a tiny bit of experience at all sorts of unconnected things.

Biography:

Ike didn’t talk much about how he grew up. How to explain it to people who didn’t live it? There weren’t many people who’d hear him talk about the tiny community in north Washington State that wasn’t even on the maps, housed a total of eight big families, and was a mess of religious nutcases and sovereign citizens, without it changing their opinions of him. So he kept it to himself once he turned twenty and got out, and moved to Brooklyn.

The shift was hard and he found himself indigent for a while, abusing substances, until he pulled himself together (oddly, through the grace of God or at least a street outreach programme) and ended up working there. Eventually becoming the manager of Good Apple Halfway House, making something productive of his life. 

(That’s not to say he didn’t make mistakes along the way. A trail of failed attempted relationships, some kids he never saw. But a man’s more than his mistakes, if the good he does outweighs it, right?)

When the virus hit, well – Ike worked among one of the most vulnerable populations and they got hit *hard*. With social services the first to degrade as the city’s infrastructure crumbled, Ike threw everything he had into keeping his people safe but when you lived in an urban centre with everyone scrabbling to survive? It was a shitshow. He got out. Not without remorse, for the people he abandoned, but Ike was a survivor.

He struck out mostly on his own, using what he’d learned growing up in Ark, and by the time he shored up in Redwood he’d lost little pieces of himself, shaved and nipped off of his conscience with each new desperate act. But nobody knew the things he’d done to stay alive, and in this town, there was the chance to wash himself clean. Right? Right??

[thc2024]

Top Rehabilitation centre near me

Finding a rehabilitation center that meets your needs is an important step toward recovery, and many people often seek these facilities to help them overcome substance abuse, mental health issues, or physical injuries. If you are looking for a rehabilitation center near me, it’s essential to understand the types of services offered, the approach used, and how these facilities can support your individual journey toward healing.

Understanding Rehabilitation Centers

Rehabilitation centers typically offer structured programs designed to help individuals recover from physical, emotional, or behavioral health challenges. These centers can range from outpatient services, where individuals attend sessions but return home each day, to inpatient services, where patients live at the facility for an extended period while they undergo treatment.

For those recovering from addiction, rehabilitation centers offer specialized care to address the physical, psychological, and emotional components of substance use disorders. These centers typically provide detoxification services, counseling, therapy sessions, support groups, and life skills training to help individuals reintegrate into society after treatment. In addition, many centers also offer aftercare programs to help prevent relapse once treatment is complete.

Services Offered at a Rehabilitation Center

Medical Detoxification: Many rehabilitation centers provide medically supervised detox programs, ensuring that the individual is safely weaned off substances under medical supervision to minimize withdrawal symptoms. This is often the first step in the recovery process for those struggling with addiction.

Counseling and Therapy: Therapy is at the heart of rehabilitation. Centers offer both individual and group therapy to address the root causes of addiction, trauma, or mental health disorders. Therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and other modalities are used to help individuals reframe negative thought patterns and develop healthier coping strategies.

Holistic Approaches: Many rehabilitation centers offer holistic therapies such as yoga, meditation, and art therapy to support mental and emotional healing. These therapies help individuals reconnect with themselves in a calm, supportive environment, reducing stress and anxiety.

Family Support Programs: Addiction and mental health issues don’t just affect the individual; they can strain relationships with family and friends. Some rehabilitation centers offer family therapy and educational programs to help loved ones understand the challenges their family member is going through and how they can offer support during recovery.

Physical Rehabilitation: For individuals recovering from physical injuries or surgeries, rehabilitation centers focus on restoring mobility and strength. These programs are often tailored to individual needs and include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, aimed at helping patients regain their independence and improve quality of life.

Aftercare and Relapse Prevention: Successful rehabilitation doesn’t end after completing the program. Many centers offer aftercare services, including ongoing therapy sessions, support group meetings, and relapse prevention strategies. These services help individuals maintain their progress and avoid slipping back into old patterns.

Choosing the Right Rehabilitation Center

When looking for a rehabilitation center, consider the type of care you need. If you are seeking help for addiction, look for centers that offer comprehensive substance abuse treatment programs. If you are recovering from a physical injury, seek out a center with specialized rehabilitation for physical therapy.

It’s also crucial to evaluate the qualifications and experience of the staff. Reputable centers will have licensed professionals, including therapists, doctors, and addiction specialists, with experience in their field. A well-established center will also provide a safe and comfortable environment where you can focus solely on your recovery.

Additionally, consider the location and the type of services offered. Some individuals prefer rehabilitation centers located in serene, rural environments for a more peaceful, distraction-free atmosphere. Others may need a facility closer to home for easier access to family support.

Conclusion

Rehabilitation centers play a critical role in the recovery process, whether you are struggling with substance abuse, mental health disorders, or recovering from a physical injury. The right center can provide the structure, support, and care needed to heal and rebuild your life. By taking the time to research local options and evaluating your personal needs, you can find a rehabilitation center that will offer the best opportunity for a successful recovery.

[purpledent0]

Rehabilitation Centre in India: Helping Individuals Reclaim Their Lives

In recent years, the demand for rehabilitation centre in India has surged, as awareness around mental health, substance abuse, and physical therapy has grown. Rehabilitation centers play a critical role in supporting individuals struggling with addiction, mental health challenges, and physical disabilities. These facilities provide structured programs and care, helping patients recover and reintegrate into society.

Rehabilitation centers in India vary in their areas of focus. Broadly, they fall into three main categories: addiction rehabilitation, mental health rehabilitation, and physical rehabilitation. Addiction rehabilitation centers primarily focus on helping individuals overcome dependencies on substances like alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Through a mix of medical treatment, counseling, and support groups, these centers guide patients toward sobriety. Many follow globally recognized programs such as the 12-step model, offering a structured pathway to recovery.

Mental health rehabilitation centers, on the other hand, focus on treating psychological conditions. Disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia require specialized care that combines medication, therapy, and skill-building activities. Mental health facilities in India also aim to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illnesses, encouraging patients to open up and seek help.

Physical rehabilitation centers are dedicated to individuals recovering from injuries, surgeries, or disabilities. These centers use physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy to help patients regain their independence. This category of rehabilitation is essential for accident victims, stroke survivors, and people with conditions such as arthritis or neurological disorders.

The quality and cost of rehabilitation services in India vary widely. Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore have well-established centers with modern facilities, but the costs in these urban areas can be high. Rural areas may lack such facilities, though initiatives by the government and non-profit organizations aim to bridge this gap. For instance, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched several schemes to subsidize treatment costs, especially for low-income families.

Rehabilitation centers in India are staffed by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, including doctors, psychologists, counselors, and therapists. This integrated approach ensures that patients receive holistic care, addressing both their physical and mental health needs.

Overall, rehabilitation centers in India play a vital role in helping individuals regain control over their lives. With continued awareness, support, and investment, these centers can continue to grow and provide effective solutions to a range of health challenges, contributing to a healthier, more resilient society.

[fivetwostexi]

Educational Support: Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024

The Importance of Educational Support Services

In today's rapidly evolving world, educational support services play a crucial role in ensuring the well-being and academic success of children. These services provide a range of resources and interventions to help students overcome challenges, build confidence, and reach their full potential.

Key Educational Support Services

Special Education: For students with disabilities or learning difficulties, special education programs offer tailored instruction and support to meet their unique needs.  

Counseling and Mental Health Support: School counselors and psychologists provide individual and group counseling sessions to address emotional, social, and behavioral issues.  

Tutoring and Academic Support: Tutors can help students with specific subjects or provide general academic assistance.  

Speech and Language Therapy: Speech-language pathologists work with students who have difficulties with communication and language development.  

Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapists address sensory, motor, and cognitive challenges that may impact a child's ability to learn and participate in school activities.  

Early Intervention Programs: These programs provide support for young children who are at risk of developmental delays or disabilities.  

After-School Programs: After-school programs offer academic enrichment, recreational activities, and supervision.  

The Role of Educational Support Services in Keeping Children Safe

Educational support services contribute to a safe and supportive learning environment by:

Identifying and Addressing Risk Factors: Counselors and other professionals can identify potential risk factors, such as bullying, substance abuse, or mental health issues, and provide appropriate interventions.

Promoting Mental Health and Well-being: By addressing emotional and social challenges, educational support services can help prevent negative behaviors and promote positive mental health outcomes.  

Building Resiliency: Through counseling and other interventions, students can develop coping skills and resilience to overcome adversity.  

Fostering Inclusive Learning Environments: Educational support services help to create inclusive classrooms where all students feel valued and supported.

Preventing Dropout: By providing academic assistance and addressing social and emotional needs, these services can help to reduce dropout rates.

Challenges and Best Practices

While educational support services are essential, there are challenges to overcome:

Limited Resources: Schools may face funding constraints that limit the availability of support services.

Stigma and Discrimination: Negative attitudes towards students who require support can create barriers to accessing necessary services.  

Lack of Awareness: Parents and caregivers may not be aware of the available resources or how to access them.

To address these challenges and ensure the effectiveness of educational support services, it is important to:

Invest in Adequate Funding: Allocate sufficient resources to support the implementation of comprehensive educational support programs.

Promote Awareness and Education: Educate parents, caregivers, and school staff about the importance of these services and how to access them.

Foster a Culture of Inclusion and Acceptance: Create a school environment where all students feel valued and supported, regardless of their needs.

Continuously Evaluate and Improve: Regularly assess the effectiveness of educational support services and make necessary adjustments to ensure they meet the needs of students.

Conclusion

Educational support services play a vital role in promoting the well-being, academic success, and safety of children. By addressing a wide range of needs, these services can help students overcome challenges, build resilience, and reach their full potential. By investing in and supporting educational support services, we can create safe and inclusive learning environments that benefit all students.

[husnaot]

Last thoughts: will enough ever be achieved?

It feels like just yesterday that I was reunited with my practical partners from my physical and paediatric blocks, with an additional member, to start our last block of our final year. Now, four weeks in, I can safely say that this last block was filled with fun, laughter, surprise and both hopes and worries for the future. The question I always ask myself when going into the community everyday is: am I doing enough?

At its core, community occupational therapy is rooted in a philosophical framework that emphasises the internal value of human connection and the ethical duty to enhance the well-being of others. In the current community that we are working in, MR, one which is vibrant and unique in its cultural norms, the interactions I have had with diverse groups highlighted principles of social justice and equity. Each interaction reminded me that the well-being of individuals cannot be separated from the socio-economic and cultural contexts in which they live. It spoke to what we have been taught since our first year in this degree: Occupational Therapy treats the Holistic Self. I am glad that I had the opportunity to witness and implement this in person. (“Position Statement: Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR),” 2009)

As I collaborated with the local creches and the primary school, I encountered children whose lives were shaped by various challenges, from socio-economic constraints to limited access to healthcare and educational resources. Some of the children were coming to school and having their only meal for the day which is a service organized by the community centre in the community. It was heartsore to witness, and these experiences prompted a deep reflection on the ethical responsibilities of healthcare practitioners such as ourselves. We need to advocate not only for individual clients but also for the systemic changes that foster healthier communities. This holistic understanding became a guiding principle in my practice and an essential lesson in my journey toward becoming a competent occupational therapist.

The projects we undertook were instrumental in improving my professional skills. Working with children in early childhood development provided me with a unique opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings, building a bridge between theoretical learning and practical implementation. Designing and implementing therapeutic interventions for young learners required creativity and adaptability, as I navigated cultural sensitivities and diverse learning needs. While some children liked table-top activities, others needed a gross motor component to rid themselves of their excess energy and be able to focus. Navigating these different types was a challenge that I loved. These experiences cultivated a sense of empathy and reinforced the importance of client-centered care—a pillar of occupational therapy. (Kugel et al., 2017)

The development of a relapse prevention package for substance use disorder was another significant project that enhanced my understanding of the complexities surrounding the condition. Collaborating with community members, we aimed to create a culturally relevant program that addressed the specific needs of individuals affected by substance abuse. The idea for this project was thought of once we spoke to the community leader and heard of the people who have given up substances and are worried about relapsing. She reported that they needed assistance since the community shunned them for any acts they had committed while using substances and they feared that they would relapse if not occupied. This initiative taught me the value of participatory approaches in health promotion, where community input is essential for effective intervention design. Without the input from the community leader in terms of common conditions and contextual factors, we would not have thought of this project that is both client-centred and relevant to the community. (Lauckner et al., 2011)

While my professional development was indescribable, the personal lessons I gained throughout this experience were equally transformative. Engaging with the community on a personal level challenged me to confront my assumptions and biases. It illuminated the stark disparities in access to resources and highlighted the resilience of individuals facing adversity. Witnessing the strength and determination of the people I served ignited a sense of humility within me. It became clear that while I entered MR with the intention to help and assist as best as I can, I was equally enriched by the stories and experiences shared with me. (Foronda et al., 2016)

My interactions during home visits were particularly impactful. Meeting clients in their own environments revealed the intricacies of their lives and the challenges they faced daily. I learned to listen deeply and to recognize that the solutions I proposed needed to resonate with their lived experiences or else they would not see the value in my intervention. This realization reinforced the importance of building trust and rapport, which are essential for effective therapeutic relationships. Each visit was a reminder of the profound impact that understanding, and compassion can have on an individual’s journey toward health and well-being. (Hammell, 2017)

One of the home visits that impacted me greatly was a stroke client. Inside the home, the walls were covered with mold and the bathtub was full of tiny pieces of cracked cement from the ceiling in their bathroom. They were using a bowl as a washbasin as this was the only way to bath. They were hesitant to, however, they reported that they do struggle to make ends meet with basic groceries and maintaining the utilities bill. Despite these socioeconomic challenges that they were facing, every time I visited I was greeted with a warm smile and a wiped chair. They offered me their food if I came as the mother was cooking and thanked me excessively each time I left the session. It made me realise that there is a beauty in humanity and that the core of every person is to share with compassion and to share in culture.

This links to a lesson I find valuable which is that the importance of cultural competence cannot be overstated. As occupational therapists, we must be attuned to the cultural narratives that shape our clients’ identities and experiences. Embracing cultural humility—acknowledging the limitations of our knowledge and remaining open to learning from those we serve—will be pivotal in my ongoing professional and personal development. (Crawley, 2022)

Moreover, the experience highlighted the significance of collaboration and partnership in practice. No single individual or organization can affect meaningful change in isolation. The successful implementation of our projects relied heavily on the involvement of local stakeholders, healthcare providers, educators, and community members. This collaborative approach will inform my future endeavors, reminding me that collective efforts can amplify impact and foster sustainable change. (McKinnon et al., 2024)

As I transition from an academic setting into the professional world, my commitment to community service remains unwavering. The lessons learned in MR will continue to shape my practice and influence my engagement with diverse populations. I aspire to integrate a community-oriented perspective into my occupational therapy practice, advocating for equitable access to care and resources while providing holistic, culturally relevant intervention for my clients.

In a broader context, I recognise the responsibility to engage in ongoing advocacy efforts that address social determinants of health. This involves not only providing direct services but also participating in initiatives aimed at policy change, community development, and education.

In reflecting on my experiences as an occupational therapy student in MR, I recognise the profound impact of community service on both my professional and personal growth. The lessons learned—from the importance of cultural competence to the value of collaboration—will serve as guiding principles as I navigate my community service next year, as well as my career in the future. With two weeks remaining of the block, I know I will continue to learn from the people around me and to have an impact on others but also recognise their impact on me.

My university’s OT department has been in MR for 12 years now. Year after year, students enter the community hoping to make a change, whether it is for marks or for the good of the world, who knows? But what I can say is that the answer to my question will forever be unknown until we have an ideal society. Until then, we have a lot of work to do.

References:

Crawley, R. (2022). Cultural competence in occupational therapy to reduce health disparities: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 29(10), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.12968/ijtr.2021.0011

Foronda, C., Baptiste, D.-L., Reinholdt, M. M., & Ousman, K. (2016). Cultural humility: A concept analysis. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 27(3), 210–217. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659615592677

Hammell, K. W. (2017). Opportunities for well-being: The right to occupational engagement. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 84(4-5), 209��222. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008417417734831

Kugel, J. D., Javherian-Dysinger, H., & Hewitt, L. (2017). The Role of Occupational Therapy in Community-Based Programming: Addressing Childhood Health Promotion. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.1259

Lauckner, H. M., Krupa, T. M., & Paterson, M. L. (2011). Conceptualizing Community Development: Occupational Therapy Practice at the Intersection of Health Services and Community. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78(4), 260–268. https://doi.org/10.2182/cjot.2011.78.4.8

McKinnon, S., Petrone, N., & Tarbet, A. (2024). The Role of an Occupational Therapy Practitioner in Professional Advocacy: a Scoping Review. Translational Science in Occupation, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.32873/unmc.dc.tso.1.2.02

Position Statement: Community-based rehabilitation (CBR). (2009). World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 59(1), 6–7. https://doi.org/10.1179/otb.2009.59.1.003

Picture References:

370+ Muslim Nurse Illustrations, Royalty-Free Vector Graphics & Clip Art - iStock. (n.d.). Www.istockphoto.com. https://www.istockphoto.com/illustrations/muslim-nurse

Artgro. (2020, February 17). Different Types of Mold Found in Homes: How it Grows, Thrives and Spreads - Mold Inspection Houston. Mold Inspection Houston. https://moldinspectionhouston.com/2020/02/17/different-types-of-mold-found-in-homes-how-it-grows-thrives-and-spreads/

Hibrida13. (2017, February 22). Community concept with people silhouettes. Dreamstime. https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-illustration-community-concept-people-silhouettes-holding-letters-word-image86572397

Premium Vector | Kid opposites loud and quiet. (n.d.). Freepik. https://www.freepik.com/premium-vector/kid-opposites-loud-quiet_4808217.htm

[ramadiphysio]

Rehabilitation Center Meaning: What You Need to Know

A rehabilitation center is a specialized facility that helps individuals recover from physical injuries, mental health conditions, or substance abuse. These centers offer a structured environment with professional care, therapy, and support to promote healing and independence. Whether it’s for post-surgical recovery, mental health support, or addiction treatment, rehabilitation centers play a key role in guiding patients back to health.

What Does a Rehabilitation Center Do?

Rehabilitation centers provide tailored programs for recovery, including physical therapy, counseling, and medical supervision. Their primary goal is to help patients regain their abilities, improve their quality of life, and achieve independence. Each center’s approach varies based on the condition it treats, making it essential to choose a facility that suits your specific needs.

Types of Rehabilitation Centers

Rehabilitation centers cater to different health conditions, including:

Physical Rehabilitation Centers: Focus on regaining strength and mobility after injury or surgery.

Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Centers: Help individuals overcome drug or alcohol addiction.

Mental Health Rehabilitation Centers: Provide therapy and support for managing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

Each type of center is staffed with professionals such as doctors, therapists, and counselors, working together to develop personalized treatment plans for effective recovery.

Services Offered at Rehabilitation Centers

Rehabilitation centers provide a variety of services, including:

Physical Therapy: To restore strength and mobility.

Occupational Therapy: To help patients relearn daily activities.

Counseling and Support: To offer emotional and psychological guidance.

Medical Supervision: To monitor health and manage medications.

These services are designed to address both the physical and emotional aspects of recovery.

How to Choose the Right Rehabilitation Center

Selecting the right center involves considering factors like the type of care needed, the center’s reputation, location, and the range of services offered. Researching and visiting potential centers can help ensure you find a facility that aligns with your recovery goals.

Conclusion

Rehabilitation center are essential for helping individuals recover from various conditions and regain independence. Understanding the different types of centers and the services they offer enables individuals to make informed decisions about their care and recovery.

🔗Read More: https://ramadiphysio.com/rehabilitation-center-meaning/

[mukelaniot]

Addressing Sustainable Goals in Occupational Therapy.

In a country like South Africa, there is a huge need for development implementation. People from all walks of life, and professions must work together towards achieving the goal of getting the country more developed. This includes the occupational therapy profession. This blog will explore how I, an occupational therapy student, have been, and plan to continue addressing some of the Sustainable Development Goals in a community like Cator Manor, a community facing a lot of socio-economic challenges such as unemployment, poverty, crime, substance use, and poor infrastructures.

 

 As an occupational therapy student currently in the community blog, my colleagues and I have been doing our part in the movement of implementing some of the Sustainable Developmental Goals in the community we are currently serving. For the sake of this blog, I am only going to mention 5 of the SDGs, namely; No poverty, Zero Hunger, Quality Education, Good Health and Well-being, and Gender Equality United Nations (2023).

For the past 3 weeks, I have had the pleasure and the privilege of serving the community through services I provide in the community clinic, local creches, the primary, and secondary school. Through these services, as minuscule as they may seem, I would personally like to believe that I have been doing my part in bringing positive change in the community, promoting occupational engagement to some of the community members, and somehow enhancing life in the community as a whole.

According to the United Nations (2003), the Sustainable Development Goal of No Poverty aims to alleviate Poverty in all shapes and forms.  As an occupational therapist, I have a duty that includes encouraging and enabling community members to develop job skills, rehabilitate the injured, and prepare them for job integration, and encourage the community to consider exploring sustainable incomes through self-employment, such as starting vegetable gardens, all in the name of trying to improve economic independence (Durocher et al.,2016).

The idea of the vegetable garden can ultimately work on another Sustainable Goal, which is Zero Hunger. And in the interest of the sustainable goal, of Zere Hunger, we, as Occupational Therapy students have had the pleasure of helping in the community feeding scheme that serves food outside the community hall.

In a community facing socio-economic challenges, quality education is of significant importance for all willing to receive it. This would ultimately offer the community more opportunities such as getting more people into higher education and bettering their chances of getting more jobs. In a community like Cator Manor, schoolers were reported to be abusing and selling drugs, having behavioral issues, and also facing hardships in their school and personal lives. We, as occupational therapists, have an important role in helping teachers and social workers address the needs of students with learning disabilities to enhance engagement in education (Durocher et al.,2016). We also run groups and individual interventions for psychosocial challenges such as peer pressure and substance use.

While working in the Clinic, I also have the opportunity to address the Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health and Well-Being. My colleagues and I have been doing health promotions almost every day, aimed at informing the public about services Occupational Therapy and other medical professionals in the clinic offer. We worked on raising awareness on Mental Health (anxiety and depression, substance abuse, traumas), and addressing the often-overlooked Maternal Mental Health (Wednesdays at the Philamntwana Clinic). We also looked at barriers the community members face that prevent them from engaging in meaningful occupations, all to promote Good health and Well-being.

In a school with social workers, there were a lot of reports of scholars witnessing and experiencing Gender-based Violence, at home and the school, I had the pleasure of doing a group session that included promoting Gender equality. This was aimed to address social and cultural norms that are unfair to women and provide psychosocial assistance to those experiencing these inequalities.

As many of our academics say, as occupational therapists, we are agents of change in communities. Through advocation and promotion, we can address Sustainable Developmental Goals. As much as we cannot address these with every single individual in the community, I believe through engaging with some of the members, we can create a ripple effect that benefits the community. Still, until then, we are going to do what we can, one step at a time.

REFERENCES

Durocher, E., Gibson, B. E., & Rappolt, S. (2016). Occupational justice: A conceptual review. Journal of Occupational Science, 21(4), 418–430.  https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2013.775692

United Nations. (2023). Sustainable Development Goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals

[avania1105]

"Thriving Together: Occupational Therapy’s Role in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals for a Better Tomorrow"

As occupational therapists, we stand at the crossroads of hope and action, equipped with the tools to change lives and uplift our communities. We can align our unique skills with the crucial Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve transformation within our communities by becoming catalysts for transformation and empowering our communities to become catalysts too. Looking at the SDGs through the lenses of an occupational therapy student working in a community grappling with poverty, hunger and inequality, I realize that there is so much more that we as OTs can do for the community.

SDG 1: No poverty

Poverty is an ongoing vicarious cycle in many communities in KZN. Poverty is not just limited to financial deprivation but encompasses a wide variety of socioeconomic factors like limited access to basic services such as water and sanitation, electricity, waste removal and healthcare services, employment and other equitable opportunities. As I walked through the streets of Cato Manor, there was a putrid smell that filled the air emanating from garbage lying on the side of the road thus highlighting the limitations of waste removal services in the community and this is in accordance with the 60,3% decline in people who had access to waste removal services from 2015 to 2023. (UNDP, 2015).

Poverty often leads to financial stress, which in turn can lead to an increase in crimes such as theft. Growing up in impoverished communities exposes individuals to crime as a normal part of life, significantly influencing their behaviours and choices. Additionally, poverty can result in substance abuse and mental health issues. So as OTs working in these communities, we can partner with local businesses to create mentorship programs to promote vocational skills to empower the youth with practical skills that open doors to employment and constructive use of time. Some of the projects in the Cato Manor Community such as “Mona Lisa” assist learners in developing prevocational skills that they can use to secure job prospects and earn a living to support themselves and their families. This can assist in breaking the cycle of poverty existing in our communities.    

SDG 2 – Zero Hunger

Food insecurity is a major challenge experienced by many households in our communities with limited access to nutritious food often resulting in malnutrition and crippling our communities. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as mentioned in (Stats sa, 2023) world hunger has almost sextupled from 150 million in 2019 to 828 million people in 2021. More than half a million households with children aged five years or younger reported experiencing hunger and 20,1% of these children were from KZN. (Stats sa, 2023). This places these children at a high risk of severe acute malnutrition. However, there are some existing programmes in the community such as Golden Future Preschool and Creche in Cato Crest which offer nutritious meals to the learners to prevent malnutrition which hampers physical and cognitive growth and the soup kitchen which provides meals to the community members. We can also inform our patients of this programme if we see that they are struggling with food security. We as OTs can assist the municipal workers at the soup kitchen by creating sustainable ways to maintain the soup kitchen by creating small gardens in which various vegetables can be grown and harvested to be used in the kitchen for meal preparation to improve the sustainability and longevity of the programme. We can also initiate community garden projects to improve food security in the community and have nutrition education workshops where we can educate families on healthy lifestyles and healthier food choices.

SDG 3 – Good health and well-being

Many people in the community often face limited access to healthcare due to various reasons which results in poor health outcomes. We as OTs can contribute towards this SDG by providing preventive healthcare services which are also in line with the UN’s new goal for worldwide good health (United Nations, 2022). Some of the ways in which we can provide preventive healthcare services include education, health promotion talks, early screening programmes, and the creation of support groups within the community to strengthen support systems and contribute to good overall health and well-being. An example of this is the Philantwana programme. As part of this programme, we screen the children for developmental delays, screen mothers for maternal mental health issues and conduct health promotion talks on various topics including developmental milestones with an overall aim of identifying red flags and providing swift early intervention by referring the children to the clinic for further assessments and treatment. We also do maternal health screening and paediatric screening at the Cato Manor Clinic to screen for any red flags and provide early intervention. Additionally, we are also planning to start a support group for mothers/caregivers of children with special needs to improve their support system and mental health to promote wellbeing.

SDG 4 – Quality education

Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering resilience. When I started my OT journey, I always wanted to work in a school environment and be a school OT however I did not have much exposure to school-based OT, so getting more exposure to the schools in the community was something that I was looking forward to in my community block. In the Cato Crest community, we have been exposed to different schools including creches, primary and high schools and different learning environments. Something that I noticed especially in the primary school and with the learners we work with, is that they are unable to receive the individual support and help that they desperately need in the classroom due to the high student-to-teacher ratio in the classrooms often resulting in them falling behind in class and still being promoted to the next grade resulting in greater problems. A typical example of this is a grade 9 student not being able to read. As OTs, we can aim to support this SDG by working with the educators to identify red flags in the learners and even offer the educators a red flag checklist that they can use to assist them in identifying potential red flags and addressing them with parents to get the learner the help and support that they need.

SDG 5 – Gender equality

Gender equality is not only considered a fundamental human right but also the foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Despite the progress made over the last decades, gender inequality is still persistent in many communities and stagnates social progress. Sexual violence and exploitation, the unequal division of unpaid care and domestic work, and discrimination in public office, all remain huge barriers to achieving gender equality (United Nations, 2022b). OTs can support this SDG by advocating for policy changes that promote gender equality in the healthcare, education, and employment sectors to ensure that men and women are treated fairly and equally. We can create empowerment programs in the community to empower marginalized women and girls by enhancing their skills and providing access to education, employment, and social participation. We can also create support groups that connect women thus promoting solidarity and shared experiences, which can enhance community resilience.

In conclusion, as we reflect on the various SDGs, it is evident that we as OTs play a vital role in helping communities bridge gaps to meet these goals, one programme at a time, to build a better community.

References

Stats sa . (2023, April 11). Focus on food inadequacy and hunger in south africa in 2021. Statssa.gov.za. https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=16235

Sustainable Development Goals: Country Report 2023. (2023). https://www.statssa.gov.za/MDG/SDG_Country_report.pdf

UNDP. (2015). Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable Development Goals; United Nations. https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals

United Nations. (2022a). Goal 3: Good Health and well-being. The Global Goals. https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/3-good-health-and-well-being/

United Nations. (2022b). United Nations: Gender Equality and women’s Empowerment. Www.un.org; United Nations. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/#:~:text=Goal%205%3A%20Achieve%20gender%20equality%20and%20empower%20all%20women%20and%20girls&text=Gender%20equality%20is%20not%20only

[uhapo2024]

Understanding Healthcare Services: An Overview

Healthcare services play a crucial role in maintaining the well-being of populations around the world. These services encompass a wide range of activities designed to promote, restore, and maintain health. From preventive care to emergency services, understanding the various components of healthcare services is essential for both providers and consumers.

Types of Healthcare Services

Primary Care: This is often the first point of contact for individuals seeking medical attention. Primary care providers, such as family physicians, pediatricians, and internists, focus on overall health management, preventive care, and the treatment of common illnesses.

Specialty Care: Specialty care involves healthcare professionals who focus on specific areas of medicine, such as cardiology, orthopedics, or dermatology. Patients typically need a referral from a primary care provider to access these services.

Emergency Care: Emergency services provide immediate treatment for acute conditions or injuries that require urgent attention. Emergency rooms are equipped to handle a wide range of medical emergencies.

Preventive Services: These services aim to prevent illnesses before they occur. Examples include vaccinations, health screenings, and wellness check-ups. Preventive care is essential for reducing healthcare costs and improving population health.

Mental Health Services: Mental health is a critical aspect of overall well-being. Services may include counseling, therapy, and psychiatric care, addressing issues such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

Rehabilitation Services: Rehabilitation focuses on helping individuals recover from injuries, surgeries, or illnesses. This includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

Long-Term Care: Long-term care services support individuals with chronic illnesses or disabilities who need assistance with daily activities. This can be provided in facilities, such as nursing homes, or through home-based care.

Palliative and Hospice Care: These services focus on improving the quality of life for patients with serious illnesses. Palliative care is available at any stage of illness, while hospice care is typically provided in the final stages of life.

Access to Healthcare Services

Access to healthcare services can be influenced by several factors, including geographic location, socioeconomic status, and insurance coverage. Efforts to improve access often focus on expanding insurance coverage, increasing the number of healthcare providers, and enhancing transportation options for patients.

The Role of Technology

Advancements in technology have transformed healthcare delivery. Telehealth services allow patients to consult healthcare providers remotely, improving access, especially in rural areas. Electronic health records (EHRs) enhance the sharing of patient information among providers, leading to more coordinated care.

Challenges Facing Healthcare Services

Despite the advancements, healthcare services face numerous challenges, including:

Cost: Rising healthcare costs can limit access for many individuals and families.

Quality of Care: Variability in the quality of care can impact patient outcomes. Ensuring consistent, high-quality services remains a priority.

Workforce Shortages: Many regions face a shortage of healthcare professionals, which can hinder service delivery.

Health Disparities: Certain populations experience significant disparities in health outcomes, often due to socioeconomic factors, geographic barriers, and systemic inequities.

Conclusion

Healthcare services are vital to individual and public health. As the landscape of healthcare continues to evolve, focusing on access, quality, and innovation will be essential in meeting the needs of diverse populations. Collaborative efforts among policymakers, providers, and communities can help create a more equitable and efficient healthcare system for all.

[mluleki2]

Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is an approach that acknowledges the pervasive impact of trauma on individuals' mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Unlike traditional healthcare methods, TIC shifts the focus from asking "What’s wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?", recognizing that past traumatic experiences can deeply influence present behavior and health. This approach integrates an understanding of trauma into all aspects of care, creating a safe, supportive environment for recovery. It is essential in fields like mental health and social services, where the effects of trauma are often long-lasting and profound​(Halo Mental Health).

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety are considered intimate partner violence (IPV) comorbidities, especially among women. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is the most common element of IPV care(American Psychiatric Association.,2013).

Principles To Promote Mental Health

My therapeutic use of self when providing trauma informed care.

Before, I had trouble understanding how occupational therapists used their own experiences to treat patients who were suffering from various traumatic events. I also had trouble understanding what conditions were a result of those traumatic experiences, such as gender-based violence, substance abuse, the death of a loved one, and so on. Working at the mental health block has allowed me to learn how different diagnoses manifest and what the principles to follow while treating individuals for that particular conditions.

During the first half of the block I was seeing the patient who was diagnosed with dementia and was now in an Erikson stage of integrity vs despair and was shifting more towards the despair side due to traumatic experience's she went through on her previous life. The most traumatic experiences included separating with the father of her child after she had just given birth to her which made her to develop hate to her own child and loosing bond with her, other one included that she lost her father in front of her, the client's traumatic events made her to blame herself for most of the critical events that has happened to her life.

I was able to establish trust with her in order to enable her to be open with me and establish our trustworthiness. I gave her further emotional support to make sure she realized that not all of the horrific events in her life were her fault and to help her move past the depressing stage when she was blaming herself for everything that had happened to her instead to try and appreciate the life that she had and more of quality of time.

What I learnt about informed care-trauma.

Today I was able to understand the difference between client-centeredness treatment and trauma-informed care, understanding the principles of trauma-informed care, trauma triggers and responses in relation to the person past critical events and then relate them to Erikson stages of development.(Research AOTA).

References.

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2017). Vision 2025. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71, 7103420010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2017.713002

Fette, C., Pattavina, C., & Weaver, L. (2019). Understanding and Applying Trauma-Informed Approaches Across Occupational Therapy Setting. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/∼/media/Corporate/Files/Publications/CE-Articles/CE-article-May-2019-Trauma.pdf

Pines, E. W. (2017). Intimate partner violence among women and trauma-informed care: An international perspective. Madridge Journal of Women's Health and Emancipation, 1, 11–15. https://doi.org/10.18689/mjwh-1000104