Addressing the Needs of Residents of Pinellas Hope
There are roughly 350-400 residents residing at Pinellas Hope at any one Time. Over 200 are housed in temporary housing and another 150+ are residents of the independent apartments on the grounds of Pinellas Hope.
There is a need to establish a coordinated onsite Behavioral Health Program at Pinellas Hope utilizing our partners: PEMHS, Directions, PAR, BayCare, Boley Centers and Suncoast. The goal is to prevent the Pinellas Hope clients:
- From going back on the streets
- Being readmitted for Mental Health or Substance Abuse Disorders
- Being Baker Acted or Marchman Acted
- Over utilizing emergency rooms for their health care needs
- Dying by overdose or suicide
- Needing police intervention and/or incarceration due to antisocial behaviors
- Being expelled from Pinellas Hope services due to not abiding by the rules and regulations of the program.
For the above reasons, the Behavioral Health Project of Catholic Charities began to implement Group Psychotheraphy and Psycho-Educational Programing for Pinellas Hope residents. While we have had to delay the development and implementation of this exciting program, we are still offering assistance to the Pinellas Hope residents from the aforementioned groups.
Group Psychotherapy and Psycho-Educational Interventions at Pinellas Hope
Independent Life Skills Training: How to survive living alone, How to manage my budget to insure my rent transportation and nutrition needs are met (See Below)
SEA’s Program: A clinician led 12 Step Program focused on skills needed to address the addictive, impulsive, inappropriate, and unhealthy behaviors which can lead to relapse and recidivism so as to improve the self-esteem of the participants in a productive manner (Utilizing the SEA’s Program at: http://www.coping.us/seasmanual.html
Physical Health Care Prevention Training: Maintaining Healthy Exercise, Diet, and Sleep habits: (Utilizing Tools for a Balanced Lifestyle: at: http://www.coping.us/balancedlifestyle/strategiesforsuccess.html)
Wellness Training: How to be relaxed in times of stress; Mindfulness Training; Meditation Training; Yoga Training; Art Therapy, Gardening Therapy; Animal (Utilizing the Holistic Approaches identified at: http://www.coping.us/opioidheroinepidemic/holisticapproachestotreatment.html)
Physical Health Management Training: Understanding any chronic health problems they might have such as Diabetes; Asthma; High Blood Pressure; Cardiac Health problems; Arthritis, or other physical disabling conditions; Understanding the types of medications given them by their attending physicians, psychiatrists and ARNP’s and the importance of following the directions in taking and maintaining the use of these medications in a healthy manner (Utilizing the Integrated Medicine Approaches and Strategies for Success in Health Management available at: http://www.coping.us/behavioralmedicine/integratedprimarycaretools.html)
Interpersonal Skill Training: How to avoid getting into arguments and confrontations; How relate to people on a one to one basis; How to establish and retain friendships or collegial relationships with others (Utilizing the Tools for Coping Series at: http://www.coping.us/toolsforcopingseries.html )
Pinellas Hope Independent Living Skills Training Program
Lesson 1:
Do I do What is Needed to Live On My Own?
Physical Hygiene
1 Do I maintain a clean body?
2 Do I do a good job of taking care of my hair?
3 Do I do a good job of taking good care of my face?
4 Do I clean my hands on a regular basis when needed?
5 Do I take good care of my teeth?
6 Do I take good care of my clothing?
7 Do I clean my clothes on a regular basis when needed?
Healthy Nutrition
8 Do I maintain a simple and proper diet?
9 Do I do a good job of shopping for food?
10 Do I make easy meals for breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks?
11 Do I use appropriate food storage and kitchen cleanup
Appropriate Personal Organization
12 In choosing my clothing do I wear them to reflect that my life is improving daily?
13 How well am I doing in getting myself together?
14 Do I maintain a backup plan when setting goals for myself?
15 Do I make use of available community resources?
16 Do I affirming myself with: I can….. I will….., I am ….. statements?
Maintaining Physical and Emotional Health
17 Do I visit the doctor and other health care people on a routine basis?
18 Am I taking my meds as directed by my doctor?
19 Am I self-monitoring of how I am physically and emotionally doing everyday?
20 What do I need to do when I am having bad feelings?
21 Do I engage in a regular physical exercise program to keep well?
22 Do I sleep soundly on the average 7 to 8 hours a night?
Managing Stress
23 What is stress doing to me and what has it done to me in the past?
24 What’s happened to me in past and present which stressed me out?
25 What pushes my buttons?
26 How have I “coped” in the past?
27 What new coping skills do I need to learn?
28 What do I need to do to live smarter and living longer?
Strategies for Success in Healthy Living
28 Am I using the serenity prayer on a daily basis?
30 Am I developing a healthy network of external supports for myself?
31 What do I need to learn to do thing which are good for me?
32 How well do I handle difficult situations in healthy ways?
Succeeding in Independent Living
33 What makes a “Home”?
34 What do I do to insure safety in my home?
35 What do I do to insure safety in my neighborhood?
36 Do I understand healthy apartment living guidelines?
37 Do I keep my apartment clean on a daily basis?
Better Use of my Leisure Time
38 What do I do to seek happiness and contentment in my Life?
39 What are my needs and wants: for happiness, contentment, and comfort?
40 What actions can I take to make my dreams come true?
41 What actions can I take to increase the joy in my life?
42 What are my most important values that drive my life today?
43 What new activities can I do to add balance to my life?
ATTITUDE IS KEY!
Are You the Little Engine that Could?
In order to gain more control over our emotions and behavior, we can become more aware of the negative destructive thoughts that enter our minds almost habitually. These negative thoughts have the power to control how we feel and how we process information in deciding how to behave. The good news is that while we typically cannot control the way we feel about a person or a matter, we can control our thoughts! This becomes significant when we need to change the way we respond to certain situations. The behaviors and feelings that we most often want to change are the ones that have negative consequences tied to them. High intensity feelings like rage, envy, sadness, and guilt can be debilitating, particularly if experienced often. Let’s look at an example where our feelings can change in response to a change in our thinking pattern.
EXAMPLE: A neighborhood fire breaks out and three family homes are burned down. There was no loss of life, but one woman who lost her home grieved so much she ended up in the hospital for stress-related illness.
What happened to the other homeowners? How did they manage to survive the fire without needing medical care?
In this narration, the other fire victims were relieved that there was no loss of life and that everyone in their family was safe. While they had normal feelings of grief and loss they managed to look toward building their lives again.
EXAMPLES OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND HOW THEY MAKE YOU FEEL & ACT
Please add examples of negative thoughts and their consequences:
Negative thoughts/attitude Feelings Behavior
1. I am stupid Sadness Avoid learning
2. I can’t do anything right Overwhelmed Won’t try
3. I must be perfect Tense/No Joy Limiting
4. I can’t trust people Suspicious Avoid others
5. I am afraid Fear Won’t live life
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The Little Engine that Could: The CAN DO Attitude Needed to Change Your Life
To change your life will require that you acquire a “can do” attitude like The Little Engine that Could. You can learn a great deal from this classic children’s book and before you begin to explore improving your life you need to learn how to get on board with the “thinking that you can.”
To download this program click on its title: Maintaining a Positive Mindset – Lesson from The Little Engine that Could.
To help you to figure out how to utilize the Little Engine That Could Model to move your life to be stronger with more motivated with a “Can DO” attitude here are two worksheets:
1. Little Engine that Could Team Implementation Plan: click here to download
2. Identifying what Engine You are Worksheet: click here to download
3. Additional Lessons to Learn from the Little Engine that Could: click here to download
MOTIVATION
There are just some things that are hard to get motivated for, things like house cleaning, shopping, paying bills etc. Yet motivation is the wood that sets our lives aflame with meaning and focus. It keeps us going when the going gets tough. It “turns us on!” Have you thought about the things, people, places, situations that motivate you? Motivation is best when it comes from inside you, and you don’t have to have someone else motivating you. You do it because you want to. There may be only a few things that motivate you, but whatever they are they are powerful igniters. If you can find out what motivates a child for example, you can get that child to perform duties that otherwise would be difficult. If you are no longer motivated to act or accomplish something in your life, you may be discouraged, tired, or depressed. Be encouraged, it only takes a small fire to kindle a dream or pursuit! Once you tap into that thing that stirs your interests, and desires, you will find that it stayed there waiting on you. Just pick it up and start off where you left off.
THINGS THAT INTERFERE WITH MY GOALS
1. I have trouble taking the first step.
2. I did not finish high school.
3. I am too old to go back to school.
4. I don’t know where to start.
5. I don’t have support.
6. I need clothes.
7. I don’t know salary to ask for.
8. I don’t have transportation.
9. I lack basic work skills.
10. I had bad experiences in my last job.
11. I am not physically able to work.
12 Other:
MY LIFE HAS MEANING WHEN
I CAN:
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I HAVE:
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I WOULD BE MORE SATISFIED WITH MY LIFE
IF I COULD:
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THINGS I REALLY ENJOY DOING
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IF I HAD TO REWARD MYSELF FOR DOING SOMETHING WELL
I WOULD:
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The Who Moved My Cheese? Change Agent Model
The most talked about motivational model in corporate America is the book Who Moved by Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, M.D. We take a look at the personality styles involved in this model and which model is the “Can DO” model to get change done in a healthy and productive way. Click here to download the powerpoint.
Once you have reviewed the PowerPoint on Who Moved My Cheese, you can then do a couple of self-assessments as to where you fit with the four characters in the story. Are you a HEM? or a HAW? or a SNIFF? or a SCURRY? Go ahead and download these word documents by clicking onto their titles:
Download Self-Assessment of Beliefs about Change
Download Self-Assessment of Response to Handwriting on the Wall
On YouTube you can watch a cartoon adaption of this story. You can watch the cartoon story of “Who Moved My Cheese” by clicking here to watch the video
The story involves “writing on the wall” and this handout contains the writings. Click here to download the handout.
The message of “Who Move My Cheese” is the adapting to and embracing the need to change. To get an additional perspective on this topic, watch this video on “Overcoming Resistance to Change” on youtube by clicking here. This video is based on the book “Isn’t it obvious?” by Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt. Spinning off of this video is another one on overcoming resistance to change which helps to clarify what the options for helping others recognize the need to change. Have a look at it by clicking here.
RESPONSIBILITY
Have you noticed that few people want to take responsibility these days? There is trash on the front side walk. Who picks it up? You often hear, it’s not my job! No, it’s not your job, but you live there and it may reflect poorly on you. Not taking responsibility for what goes undone is one thing, but if you don’t take responsibility for your life decisions you will pay. Just the thought of taking on one more responsibility is perhaps tiring to most people who are already over stressed with family and work duties. But, there is one positive way to think about it: being more responsible can also mean taking more control over what happens to you. The more you can determine the positive things in your life the more you will have them. If you leave control in the hands of someone else, or in the hands of the “system,” you will no doubt find the outcome may not be what you want. So one way of getting more of what you want from life is to make sure that the outcome turns out in your favor. Take the responsibility!
BARRIERS IN MY PAST
List some of the things, situations, or people that have hindered you in the past from achieving your goals.
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BARRIERS IN MY PRESENT
What are things, situations or people that are currently interfering with you reaching your goals?
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SOME THINGS I HAVE LEARNED FROM PAST MISTAKES
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WHEN I SUCCEED AT A GOAL I PLAN TO REWARD MYSELF BY
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ADDRESSING SUBSTANCE USE/ABUSE ISSUES
The art of making good choices and informed decisions is not an easy task. It takes time and thought. One has to consider how our actions affect others. Substance use alters one’s ability to process information and make responsible action plans. Often things done under the influence of drugs or alcohol can have long term effects.
THINGS THAT I REGRET DONE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL
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THINGS I CAN DO OR SAY TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY ACTIONS UNDER THE INFLUENCE
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