Engaging With A Client In The Mental Health Context

Submitted By jerryrhys
Words: 4321
Pages: 18

Engaging with a Client in the Mental Health Context

Introduction

The aims and objectives of this assignment are to analyse therapeutic engagement approach with clients. It will explore the holistic approach to Mental Health Care whilst on placement and look at the assessment process, the assessment tools and models used as well as National Service Frameworks throughout. The unit in which the placement occurred is an open acute ward setting which uses the Care Plan Approach (CPA) within the Mutli-Disciplinary team as their working framework.

The CPA was introduced to Wales in 1998 by the Welsh Assembly Government to set out plans for the National Health Service and it’s partners, requiring these agencies to work together to provide integrated services which will improve the quality of life for everyone. It is deemed to be helpful if health and social services personnel work together locally to incorporate the minimum requirements for the CPA and the Unified and Fair System for Assessing and Managing Care.
(WAG 2003). It is set out to provide co-ordination between health and social care and primary and secondary care particularly for people with complex problems. This helps identify the needs for each individual and is flexible enough to encourage individuals to recognise their beliefs, their limits and help empower the patient when possible within the hospital environment. Admission to the ward is by the ward consultant, an on call consultant or deputy.
The writer will be using the Gibbs (1988) model for structured reflection. It concentrates on six main patterns, which are the description of the essay, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan, as this will help assist the writer to be more critical in his essay.
All names have been changed to ensure the clients confidentiality and keeping with the guidelines of the NMC with regard to the Code of Professional Conduct (2002)

History
Carol is a divorced mother of two children, a girl of 20years and a boy of 17years who has a learning disability. She has worked up until she had her children. After her son’s birth, Carol suffered with postnatal depression and diagnosed with schizo affective disorder, Brannon (2005) says ‘Schizo affective disorder is a perplexing mental illness with a combination of symptoms of a thought disorder or other psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions and those of a mood disorder (depressive or manic).’ The coupling of symptoms from these divergent spectrums makes treating clients who are schizoaffective difficult. However, Carol was treated with ECT (Electro Convulsive Treatment) and medication. Carol had a full recovery, and since then has led a normal life. After sixteen years of marriage, Carol went through a very traumatic and difficult divorce. From the effects of this, Carol has engaged with the mental health services suffering with depression, but again, has had a full recovery with the help of the Multi Disciplinary Team, ward staff, medication and her new appointed care coordinator. The care coordinator can be a social worker or a community psychiatric nurse. The CPA states that a care coordinator/CPN is allocated to a service user and should have clear responsibility of planning and assessing care, and be the main point of contact for that service user. WAG (2003). However, historically Carol has a tendency to disengage with the services when she is discharged. On referral, Carol was accompanied to the ward by the local police and her family. They had great concerns for her, as she had been wandering the streets in the early hours of the morning in a very confused state. Carol was placed on a section 2 under the Mental Health Act (1983) See Appendices one.
This can only be carried out by an approved social worker, a section 12 doctor, and a general practitioner who then refers them to an acute ward. A joint assessment form will be completed and as much information about the client will be