Slithytoves
Oblique Strategist
I remember talking with a colleague about how this new model is not a good idea. omg the patronizing response was just baffling to me, she went on and on about how this was so much more respectful for clients, now i hate when people are referred to as clients, i restrained myself from pointing out the irony
of talking about respect while casually reducing a person to a label in the hopes of continuing the discussion.
I had to smile at your comment about disliking the term "clients". As you probably know, that term came into vogue as an alternative to "patients", but it doesn't sit much better with a lot of helping professionals and consumers of services alike. There's another word, "consumers". That one is becoming popular in the hospital industry, according to my housemate whose field is Health Care Administration. I find that one even more offensive.
So what would you personally prefer to call people-who-seek-and-receive-mental-health-services? I'm stumped, myself.
I asked how did she see this as empowering and said how this would prevent institutionalization and was a great way to treat " clients" with more respect by having them rely on the services less so they would feel like more of a part of the community.
Oh. My. God. I have heard that answer so many times! Yes, make people feel more a part of the community by removing access to therapeutic supports to functioning. Logical.
I then said how the prevention of institutionalisation was insane, how do you prevent people already heavily institutionalised from institutionalisation?
No pun intended? This is an excellent point, and one that legislators loved to sidestep when I was doing advocacy work with NAMI after an inpatient facility here closed its doors. There wasn't much room in local group homes, so many people were just "cured" via the miracle of bureaucracy and deemed suitable for life on their own. It was infuriating. Those left to their own devices weren't given as much as occupational therapy; just an overloaded case manager with no options to offer but outpatient "talk therapy" referral that hadn't worked for them before institutionalization. Many are now homeless, so now of course our politicians are explaining away the spike in our homeless problem.
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