Module 1: Role of the Mental Health Support Specialist

Attention

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In this Module we learn about the role of the MHSS as part of a team that supports Mental Health

Learning Outcomes

In this module students will learn to:

  • Describe the roles, expectations, and functions of the Mental Health Support Specialist (MHSS)
  • Explain the importance of the following aspects of the MHSS job:
    • Use of supervision
    • Working as part of a team
    • Being a lifelong learner
    • Working boundaries
    • Problem solving
    • Resolving conflict
    • Dealing with stress
    • Identifying and resolving issues of staff safety
  • Explain Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as it applies to all of us
  • Identify ways of supporting different learning styles in providing daily living support
  • Demonstrate "Tell, Show, Do" strategy for teaching skills
  • Describe the responsibility of the MHSS as mandatory reporter

Teaching

Click here to download the Student Manual for Module 1

Lectures

Module 1 Part 1
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Once you have reviewed this lecture scroll down and complete Exercise 1

Module 1 Part 2
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Once you have reviewed this lecture scroll down and complete Exercise 2

Module 1 Part 3
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Once you have reviewed this lecture scroll down and complete Exercise 3

Module 1 Part 4
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Once you have reviewed this lecture scroll down and complete Exercise 4

Module 1 Part 5
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Once you have reviewed this lecture scroll down and complete Exercise 5

Module 1 Part 6
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Once you have reviewed this lecture scroll down and complete Exercise 6 and 7

Module 1 Part 7
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Module 1 Part 8
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Once you have reviewed this lecture scroll down and complete Exercise 8 and 9/10

Module 1 Part 9
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Assessment

Below you will find Module Exercises adapted for the Online Classroom

Exercise 1 - Scenarios and Strategies (Small and Large Group Discussion)

For this exercise you will work in groups in the discussion boards. Each group will be assigned one of the vignettes listed below. Your small group will discuss how they would handle the situations. Each group will come to a consensus as to thier approach.

At that time a leader from each group will post their approach to the Exercise 1 Large Group discussion board. Each of you is required to them post a reply comment (either a question or an alternative approach) to at least two of the leaders' posts.

Scenarios

  1. Joe is slow in getting his vacuuming of the living room done. Everybody else in the house is sitting in the van waiting to leave. What strategies could you try to get Joe into the van without giving him permission to skip out on his chore?

  2. Craig, a resident at the house, took a phone call from another resident, who said that he was stranded at the mall. Craig got the keys to the house van, drove to the mall, picked up the other resident, and drove him home. Staff is shocked that Craig took the van and drove it. What should staff say and do now? What should staff have said previously?

  3. Fred has the TV on in the living room at a volume that is uncomfortable to others. He seems oblivious to the discomfort of the other residents. What should staff say and do now?

  4. You have arrived at Sue’s apartment only to find her flat on her back with a head cold. Sue asks you to run to the corner variety store and pick her up a pack of cigarettes. You don’t smoke and you don’t think that she should smoke. What should you do? Would your answer be any different if Sue requested that you pick up some orange juice for her?

  5. It is a sloppy winter day when you arrive at Mary's apartment. You wipe your feet well before knocking on the door. Mary lets you in, greets you, and asks you to remove your shoes. You really don't want to walk around in Mary's apartment in your socks. Mary's shoes are lined up by the door; the apartment is neat and clean; and she is wearing slippers.

Exercise 2 - Teamwork (Discussion)

Participate in the following discussion. Be sure to answer at least one of these questions in your main post. You are required to reply to at least THREE other students' posts for full credit.

  • Think of any kind of group or team you have been a part of that was successful. Why was the team successful? Describe the characteristics that made it successful.
  • Think of any kind of grop or team that you have been a part of that was not successful. What prevented it from being successful? Describe those characteristics.
  • What skills do you think are important for being good team members?

Exercise 3 - Clarifying Boundaries (Small and Large Group Discussion)

For this exercise you will work in groups in the discussion boards. Each group will be assigned one of the vignettes listed below. Your small group will discuss how they would handle the situations. Each group will come to a consensus as to thier approach.

At that time a leader from each group will post their approach to the Exercise 1 Large Group discussion board. Each of you is required to them post a reply comment (either a question or an alternative approach) to at least two of the leaders' posts.

Scenarios

  1. Lynn has recently been told that her daughter is going to need braces on her teeth or she will risk losing her teeth within the next 10 years. Lynn just found out that her health/dental insurance will only pay for a very small amount of this procedure. She was awake most of last night worrying about how she is going to pay for the braces.

    Should Lynn tell the person she supports why she is so tired today? Why or why not? Should Lynn share her concerns about her daughter and her own finances as a way of demonstrating that everybody has problems? Why or why not?

  2. Rob has a sick cat. The vet has told him that she is not sure if the cat will live through the weekend. You are off this weekend. Rob has asked for your home number so he can call you to keep you updated about the cat.

    Should you give Rob your number? Why or why not?
    Should you tell Rob it is okay to call you about the cat but not about anything else? Why or why not?
    Can you think of another way to offer support to Rob?

  3. Ralph comes into work and reads the documentation from the last shift. According to the documentation, the floor had been swept, mopped, and waxed. Ralph looks at the floor and it doesn’t look like a thing has been done to it. It certainly has not been washed and waxed.

    Should Ralph ask one of the residents if the floor was swept, washed, and waxed? Why or why not?

  4. Sue, one of the people you support, has knit you a cap for a birthday gift. She can hardly wait for you to try it on to see how good it looks.

    Should you accept the cap? Why or why not? What should you say to Sue?

Exercise 4 - Strategies for Resolving Conflict (Discussion and Assignment)

For this exercise you will work in pairs or groups of three. Each of you will share answers to the following questions in your discussion board.

  • What conflicts have you experienced at work?
  • What was effective in resolving those conflicts?
  • What made the conflict worse?

After you have discussed these questions each group will collaborate to make a list of strategies to resolve conflicts similar to the ones you discussed. (Be sure to describe the conflict that your strategies are desiged to address). The document will be posted in the discussion board and, when graded, will be combined with all the others from the class and shared with everyone as a resource.

Exercise 5 - Stress Self-Inventory (Discussion)

Click HERE to download the Stress Self-Inventory. Complete this form by checking the box next to the item that describes you. Keep this for your records.

In this discussion feel free to share your thoughts about your selections and what this self-nventory tells you about yourself. Consider the following questions:

  • What do you find most stressful about being an MHSS?
  • What strategies for dealing with this stress work for you?

Exercise 6 - Taking Risks (Quiz)

Click HERE to download the Taking Risks handout. Take time to list the different "risks" you engage in...such as smoking cigarettes, speeding, operating machines, etc. Then rate each risk as either HIGH or LOW based on if you may be injured over the next day, week, month, or year. Do the risks change as the environment changes (for example: Do you feel safer 10 miles from home versus 100 miles from home.)

Write a two paragraph essay related to the activity above.

Exercise 7 - Predicting Violence (Discussion and Quiz)

In the discussion portion of this exercise, give examples of things you use to judge whether someone is going to be violent or not. Some examples include:

  • A history of difficult behavior in the recent past (why not more distant?)
  • Facial expressions
  • Body language
  • Angry or hostile statements
  • Threats
  • Increased stressors
  • Particular times of the year, month, or day
  • Decompensation due to illness or failure to take helpful medications
  • Substance abuse

Keep in mind there can be more subtle cues than these.

In the quiz portion of this exercise, consider a situation you have experienced in which you were around "violence". Thinking back to that time answer the following questions:

  • What was I feeling?
  • Why did I have these feelings?
  • What did I see, feel, hear, or smell, that made me feel that way?

Exercise 8 - What is your style? (Discussion)

VARK is a questionnaire that you will take to learn about your own Learning Styles. To explore this test and the factors it measures, visit their website HERE.

Based on this specific test, you will be categorized in one of four styles (or Multimodal):

  • Aural
  • Visual
  • Read/Write
  • Kinesthetic
  • Multimodal

Review the information on each style by clicking HERE

In the discussion, report your results and discuss how this information relates to how you have learned a new skill in the past year.

Exercises 9/10 - Teaching a Skill and Practice Teaching (Collaborate and Assignment)

Click HERE to review a list of ADL Skills (by age).

Note: This document comes from a religious site so there are some surprising inclusions in it...however, many of the skills listed on this page may be part of a client's service plan.

Select a typical skill that you may have to teach a client some day. Consider what visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues you would use. Develop a lesson plan with materials as if you were going to teach this skill to a client. (Note: do not select an overly complex skill for this activity...a simple skill will be complex enough.)

In Collaborate you will be assigned a partner. Your task is to teach each other the skill that you have selected and record it using the video and audio tools in Collaborate. (Each of you must teach each other a different skill)

Submit your written lesson plan formatted in MS Word to the drop box. At the end of the Lesson Plan document reflect on the following questions:

  • When you were the teacher, what was the easiest part for you? The hardest?
  • When you were the learner, what was the easiest part for you? The hardest?