(Continued from page 626) age 17 she had been hospitalized frequently at various institutions. She had been treated with ECT and by a combination of a major tranquilizer and a tricyclic antidepressant. The patient’s husband had died several years previously around Christmas time, and thus the holiday season caused her particular stress. Shortly after Christmas in 1973 she was hospitalized with an exacerbation of her illness. Over a period of three months she responded to 40 mg. of haloperidol and 150 mg. of amitriptyline daily. She was discharged on a daily dosage of 20 mg. of haloperidol, 75 mg. of amitriptyline, and one mg. of benztropine (for an akathisis she had developed). During weekly follow-up visits to the outpatient clinic she appeared remarkably reconstituted. She dressed stylishly, wore make-up, and professed to be in good spirits. However, she spent her days at home cleaning her apartment and watching television. Her only ventures outside were to shop and to visit the clinic. She was treated in brief supportive psychotherapy sessions with emphasis on her need to be more socially active. For three months she made excuses for her inability to do the things that had been suggested. Finally, the author (CKC) took three prescription blanks and wrote the following instructions: “Go to a movie this week,” ‘a Call up a friend and make a luncheon date,” and “Go swimming at the YMCA.” The following week she had accomplished each task. Over the next two months she became increasingly active socially and re-established relationships with her daughter and son-in-law. Her last few clinic visits focused on her plans to move to New Mexico where they lived (a move that she subsequently made). The third patient was a 26-year-old doctoral candidate in philosophy who presented for treatment because of a mild reactive depression after the termination of a chaotic love affair and because of retarded ejaculation. It soon became apparent that he was an obsessive-compulsive personality and that this had helped create the problems in his recent relationship. He lacked assertiveness about minor irritations, and then he would explode and release his pent-up feelings. Thus he drove his girlfriend away to other men. He was seen each week in a one-hour session. The major thrust of the treatment was assertive training with behavior rehearsaT in all relationships, but with particular emphasis on the heterosexual. He was quite an avid pupil, and he immediately began to apply assertiveness in his existing relationships. However, he lacked a heterosexual relationship. In the fourth session the senior author assigned him to meet three new girls during the week. (He had reported being able to do this in the past.) However, he failed to complete his assignment for three weeks, stating that he hadn’t had any opportunities and that he’d been busy on his thesis. Discussing the patient’s inability to trust women
didn’t seem to be very effective, so the author took out his prescription pad, assumed his best professional manner, and wrote Meet three new girls each week” and handed it to him. The patient burst into laughter and said, “You know, I just might do it this time.” Which indeed he did. Three months later he met a girl he liked very much, and with her his retarded ejaculation problem disappeared. Two years later they are happily married. ‘ ‘
A PROGRAM TO EDUCATE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT CAREERS IN MENTAL HEALTH Sylvia
,
L. Ginsparg,
Ph.D.
#{149}Adolescents who must select careers in this age of increased specialization, extended formal education, and isolation from opportunities to observe their parents’ employment world often feel overwhelmed. To help its students make career choices, a high school in Topeka, Kansas, releases them from classes for three days each year so that they can visit and learn about businesses in the community. Participation by community businesses is entirely optional; no money is exchanged. The Menninger Foundation’s division of school mental health, part of the department of cornrnunity psychiatry, has sponsored a group of students each year since the career orientation program began four years ago. In the initial stages of establishing the program at the foundation, some senior staff members felt that allowing high school students into the hospital would violate the patients’ confidentiality. Therefore, a seminar program was established. The objectives of the course were to offer students an overview of ongoing programs and goals of the foundation as representative of opportunities for employment within the field of mental health; to acquaint the students with the whole area of psychiatric treatment so they would be aware of the possibilities for help and for personal change; and to help the students better understand the kinds of experiences friends or relatives in psychiatric treatment may be having. No attempt was made to screen students for the program; the registration process established by the high school placed students in programs on a firstcome, first-served basis. However, it was apparent that each group that elected to visit the foundation was made up of students who felt some degree of concern about themselves or were seeking some kind of help with a troubling family situation. For the first two years the foundation took ten students, the third year 21, and the fourth year 13. The program was coordinated by a member of the division of school mental health who was generally Dr. Ginsparg is coordinator of Menninger Foundation, Topeka,
VOLUME
27
NUMBER
school Kansas
9 SEPTEMBER
consultation 66601.
1976
services
at
the
633
available
to the students for discussions during lunch and throughout the three days. The curriculum included a welcoming session by the president of the foundation and by the coordinator of the program; a tour of the foundation’s museum, which depicts the history of mental illness, and of the East Campus, which houses the clinical services; slides of the foundation’s development; and a session in the biofeedback laboratory where students learned about ongoing research projects and, using biofeedback techniques, learned to alter the temperature in their fingertips. Some of the other activities and courses included visiting the preschool day treatment center, and discussing the school system in a children’s hospital with the principal of the hospital school. The psychotherapy director in the children’s service described the process of psychotherapy, and the director of the children’s service lectured on the practice of psychiatry in the Menninger Children’s Hospital. The director of the division of school mental health talked about psychiatric consultation in the school system, the director of the department of speech and hearing about psychological implications of speech and hearing, the director of community psychiatry about the community mental health movement, and the director of social work about the role of the social worker in the mental health setting. In addition, the coordinator, a psychologist, spoke about the psychologist’s role in the mental health setting, and the director of industrial consultation discussed moving mental health services into industry. The final session, led by an educator who lectures and writes about the future, concerned what the student’s role might be in the year 2000. At the end of the three days there was a wrap-up session to help students integrate their experience in the program. The students have been enthusiastic about the program. It became known around the school as a good course in mental health and as a program that kept students busy the entire three days. Some of the students formed continuing relationships with the coordinator. One girl sent the coordinator an invitation to her graduation and later requested an employment reference. Another called a few weeks after the program ended and asked for help in getting information about dreams During the program some of the students became very open in talking about personal problems. A spastic boy discussed some of his earlier emotional problems, and two girls talked about recent experiences as runaways, their feelings of alienation from their families, and their ongoing relationships with the court social workers. Problems in financing advanced education, difficulties in selecting the right university without having clearly formulated career plans, and methods of selecting a career within the mental health field were discussed freely. Students were also encouraged to express their feelings about the school system since the division of school mental health provides consultation services to the periods
school and could possibly effect necessary changes. The greatest cry from all of the students was that there was no one they could talk to about personal problems. They felt the principals were too busy and the counselors were only interested in how you look on paper.” They also said that since the principals and counselors also teach classes, they were reluctant to speak about personal problems as they might one day have the principals or counselors for teachers. The school required each student to evaluate the program. Students at the foundation felt that they learned a great deal and that it had been a worthwhile experience. Some of the students expressed a desire to pursue a career in the mental health field, and a few have asked the coordinator to recommend appropriate colleges. The only real disadvantage of the high school’s career orientation program is that only a few such programs can be provided each year within a small community. (Students from the other two high schools in town felt they were discriminated against because they could not participate in the program.) In larger cities, however, such programs could be instituted in the high schools to help students select careers.U ‘ ‘
We have your best interest at heart.
-
634
HOSPITAL
& COMMUNITY
PSYCHIATRY
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didn’t seem to be very effective, so the author took out his prescription pad, assumed his best professional manner, and wrote Meet three new girls each week” and handed it to him. The patient burst into laughter and said, “You know, I just might do it this time.” Which indeed he did. Three months later he met a girl he liked very much, and with her his retarded ejaculation problem disappeared. Two years later they are happily married. ‘ ‘
A PROGRAM TO EDUCATE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT CAREERS IN MENTAL HEALTH Sylvia
,
L. Ginsparg,
Ph.D.
#{149}Adolescents who must select careers in this age of increased specialization, extended formal education, and isolation from opportunities to observe their parents’ employment world often feel overwhelmed. To help its students make career choices, a high school in Topeka, Kansas, releases them from classes for three days each year so that they can visit and learn about businesses in the community. Participation by community businesses is entirely optional; no money is exchanged. The Menninger Foundation’s division of school mental health, part of the department of cornrnunity psychiatry, has sponsored a group of students each year since the career orientation program began four years ago. In the initial stages of establishing the program at the foundation, some senior staff members felt that allowing high school students into the hospital would violate the patients’ confidentiality. Therefore, a seminar program was established. The objectives of the course were to offer students an overview of ongoing programs and goals of the foundation as representative of opportunities for employment within the field of mental health; to acquaint the students with the whole area of psychiatric treatment so they would be aware of the possibilities for help and for personal change; and to help the students better understand the kinds of experiences friends or relatives in psychiatric treatment may be having. No attempt was made to screen students for the program; the registration process established by the high school placed students in programs on a firstcome, first-served basis. However, it was apparent that each group that elected to visit the foundation was made up of students who felt some degree of concern about themselves or were seeking some kind of help with a troubling family situation. For the first two years the foundation took ten students, the third year 21, and the fourth year 13. The program was coordinated by a member of the division of school mental health who was generally Dr. Ginsparg is coordinator of Menninger Foundation, Topeka,
VOLUME
27
NUMBER
school Kansas
9 SEPTEMBER
consultation 66601.
1976
services
at
the
633
available
to the students for discussions during lunch and throughout the three days. The curriculum included a welcoming session by the president of the foundation and by the coordinator of the program; a tour of the foundation’s museum, which depicts the history of mental illness, and of the East Campus, which houses the clinical services; slides of the foundation’s development; and a session in the biofeedback laboratory where students learned about ongoing research projects and, using biofeedback techniques, learned to alter the temperature in their fingertips. Some of the other activities and courses included visiting the preschool day treatment center, and discussing the school system in a children’s hospital with the principal of the hospital school. The psychotherapy director in the children’s service described the process of psychotherapy, and the director of the children’s service lectured on the practice of psychiatry in the Menninger Children’s Hospital. The director of the division of school mental health talked about psychiatric consultation in the school system, the director of the department of speech and hearing about psychological implications of speech and hearing, the director of community psychiatry about the community mental health movement, and the director of social work about the role of the social worker in the mental health setting. In addition, the coordinator, a psychologist, spoke about the psychologist’s role in the mental health setting, and the director of industrial consultation discussed moving mental health services into industry. The final session, led by an educator who lectures and writes about the future, concerned what the student’s role might be in the year 2000. At the end of the three days there was a wrap-up session to help students integrate their experience in the program. The students have been enthusiastic about the program. It became known around the school as a good course in mental health and as a program that kept students busy the entire three days. Some of the students formed continuing relationships with the coordinator. One girl sent the coordinator an invitation to her graduation and later requested an employment reference. Another called a few weeks after the program ended and asked for help in getting information about dreams During the program some of the students became very open in talking about personal problems. A spastic boy discussed some of his earlier emotional problems, and two girls talked about recent experiences as runaways, their feelings of alienation from their families, and their ongoing relationships with the court social workers. Problems in financing advanced education, difficulties in selecting the right university without having clearly formulated career plans, and methods of selecting a career within the mental health field were discussed freely. Students were also encouraged to express their feelings about the school system since the division of school mental health provides consultation services to the periods
school and could possibly effect necessary changes. The greatest cry from all of the students was that there was no one they could talk to about personal problems. They felt the principals were too busy and the counselors were only interested in how you look on paper.” They also said that since the principals and counselors also teach classes, they were reluctant to speak about personal problems as they might one day have the principals or counselors for teachers. The school required each student to evaluate the program. Students at the foundation felt that they learned a great deal and that it had been a worthwhile experience. Some of the students expressed a desire to pursue a career in the mental health field, and a few have asked the coordinator to recommend appropriate colleges. The only real disadvantage of the high school’s career orientation program is that only a few such programs can be provided each year within a small community. (Students from the other two high schools in town felt they were discriminated against because they could not participate in the program.) In larger cities, however, such programs could be instituted in the high schools to help students select careers.U ‘ ‘
We have your best interest at heart.
-
634
HOSPITAL
& COMMUNITY
PSYCHIATRY
Give Heart Fund American
Heart Association
