Mental Health Agency Paper

Please note in section B and C of the instructions, I have added info that you will need to complete the paper.

Part B: Mental Health Agency Paper
Along with use of APA 6th edition guidelines, including running head, title page, abstract, reference page, in-text citations, the written component of the assignment requires 3 scholarly references. You may use your textbook as one reference. The paper must be a MINIMUM of 750 words, double spaced, Times New Roman, size 12 font, and including what is noted on the rubric, must include ALL of the information below for an exemplary score.

Important: Present your information in the same order as outlined below.

A. (Minimum 250 words) Begin your paper by discussing the overall significance of mental health agencies in local communities and the value of the services they provide to mental health, dual diagnosis clients and their families. This should include the types of services they offer. Then outline, in detail, the reasons that it is important and necessary for HUS professionals to be able to locate and have direct experience making site visits at local mental health agencies—experience that is separate from their internship. Discuss the value of an agency like the one you visited and how this agency evidenced that they provide meaningful and important services to the community. Be sure to utilize your 3 scholarly references in this first component of the assignment. As 250 words is about one page, you may find that you need more than one page to discuss all of this information.

B. (Minimum 250 words) Describe in detail what you experienced as you walked into the agency and what kinds of experiences you had while there by: I visited Tideline Counseling and Mental Health Associates

Describing the front office, including the shape of the furniture (looks clean and neat or is messy and unkempt? The office is located in a small plaza so it’s not a very big space. There is a leather couch and loveseat as well as a few nice chairs for patients to sit in while they wait. All the furniture looks used but clean. There is a large fish tank with some fish in it. It can be soothing but if you are waiting for a while it can be irritating, in my opinion.

Did the waiting area feel inviting or uninviting? The furniture looked comfy and the office didn’t seem to be too busy, so I would say it was inviting.

Was it clean and neat or not clean and neat? It was clean, but there is a coffee table that was pretty cluttered with magazines to read while waiting.

Did you feel comfortable or uncomfortable? Being that it was a smaller agency, I felt comfortable. There were not any patients there at the time of my visit.

Did you feel comfortable or uncomfortable with your interactions with staff? Ironically, the staff are all women so I was more comfortable than I thought I would be.

Describe the interactions you had with any staff members (remember you ARE NOT to provide any names. Note: front office staff, etc.) I met with the front office manager during a lunch break so the rest of the staff was not in the office. She showed me around the building and talked to me about the rest of the staff and the services they offer. She was very pleasant and thorough.

Explain if you would refer a friend, family member, or client to the agency and explain why or why not. I would refer someone to this agency, especially if it was someone with anxiety because the agency is small but well staffed and they seem to have the ability to really focus on one person at a time and help with their needs.

Discuss in detail the reasons this is or is not an agency you would like to volunteer for, intern with, work for. based on the info given, please feel free to elaborate on this.

C. (Minimum 250 words) Discuss the value of in-person agency visit and what an HUS student/professional can learn from engaging in the process of:

Locating agencies that provide mental health services.
Calling three agencies to discuss making an in-person visit. (we had to call three and choose one to visit)
Describe in detail the aspects were most challenging about engaging in this process. (other than front office staff, it’s hard to get someone on the phone to discuss who you are and why you’d like to make a visit. Also if a voicemail is left, they don’t call back in a timely manner or call at all.)
Describe in detail what aspects were most enlightening about this process.
Provide at least three detailed reasons HUS students/professionals need to make site visits to understand the kinds of agencies located in the community and that they may be working for, and the reasons they need to be cognizant of the kinds of mental health services that are available in their community.
Discuss three important things you learned from engaging in this assignment.

Textbook Title: Clinical Social Work Practice in Behavioral Mental Health
Edition #: 3
Author: Roberta G. Sands and Zvi D. Gellis
Publisher: Pearson Publishing
Year: 2012
ISBN: 978-0205820160