Aurora Club - Clinical Log #2
I. Description of the Day
Groups and/or Experiences The day began with a tour of the Aurora club and general information about the services the Aurora club provides. I learned that the Aurora club is a social rehabilitation program designed to provide social support, teach life skills, and promote independence, for individuals with mental illness in the surrounding area. It has many services, including a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, exercise equipment, games, computers, men’s groups, women’s groups, and educational workshops. Following the tour, announcements were given by staff members about the activities of the day. The clients were given the choice of an outing to Broad St. Market or to stay at the Aurora …show more content…
In the acute phase of the illness, emphasis should be placed on a safe environment so that the person does not hurt themselves or others (Stuart, 2013, p. 365). Drugs such as typical and atypical antipsychotic medications are used to treat schizophrenia (Stuart, 2013, p. 370). The typical or traditional antipsychotic drugs only treat the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, whereas the newer, atypical antipsychotic drugs treat both the positive and negative symptoms of the disorder. Other interventions include helping clients work through delusions and hallucinations, in order to focus on reality (Stuart, 2013, p. 366). One helpful approach is to use cognitive behavioral therapy to manage psychosis (Stuart, 2013, p. 369). Once the person has recovered from the acute phase of the illness, it is important to focus on relapse prevention, since the relapse rate is high (Stuart, 2013, p. 373). This includes encouraging medication compliance and helping clients identify triggers that could lead to relapse, along with strategies to manage those triggers. Furthermore, treatment should focus on improving social skills, providing long-term housing, minimizing the side effects of medication, and educating family about the condition (Stuart, 2013, p.
I. Description of the Day
Groups and/or Experiences The day began with a tour of the Aurora club and general information about the services the Aurora club provides. I learned that the Aurora club is a social rehabilitation program designed to provide social support, teach life skills, and promote independence, for individuals with mental illness in the surrounding area. It has many services, including a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, exercise equipment, games, computers, men’s groups, women’s groups, and educational workshops. Following the tour, announcements were given by staff members about the activities of the day. The clients were given the choice of an outing to Broad St. Market or to stay at the Aurora …show more content…
In the acute phase of the illness, emphasis should be placed on a safe environment so that the person does not hurt themselves or others (Stuart, 2013, p. 365). Drugs such as typical and atypical antipsychotic medications are used to treat schizophrenia (Stuart, 2013, p. 370). The typical or traditional antipsychotic drugs only treat the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, whereas the newer, atypical antipsychotic drugs treat both the positive and negative symptoms of the disorder. Other interventions include helping clients work through delusions and hallucinations, in order to focus on reality (Stuart, 2013, p. 366). One helpful approach is to use cognitive behavioral therapy to manage psychosis (Stuart, 2013, p. 369). Once the person has recovered from the acute phase of the illness, it is important to focus on relapse prevention, since the relapse rate is high (Stuart, 2013, p. 373). This includes encouraging medication compliance and helping clients identify triggers that could lead to relapse, along with strategies to manage those triggers. Furthermore, treatment should focus on improving social skills, providing long-term housing, minimizing the side effects of medication, and educating family about the condition (Stuart, 2013, p.