Nov/105
Disability Education: Psychiatric Disabilities in the Workplace
One of the most difficult tasks faced by disability employers of almost every industry is developing an environment in which employees with disabilities can receive the individual support they need to work effectively. Much of this battle is fighting the preconceived ideas that current employees, managers, and even customers may hold regarding those with mental and physical disabilities.
When we think of providing equal employment opportunity to those with disabilities, individuals with physical disabilities almost always come to mind first. However, we must expand our perceptions to encompass individuals with mental disabilities as well. We must further our ideas of what may or may not be considered a disability to also include psychiatric disabilities. Psychiatric disabilities are often disregarded when organizations consider disability employment; individuals who suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are sometimes overlooked during an organization’s efforts to employ disability training and education. However, an estimated 26 percent of Americans over the age of 18 suffer from a mental disorder, providing impetus for businesses to utilize disability education to better understand these conditions (i).
Program Development Associates has a number of resources to help build employer relations among an organization and potential prospects. Organizations interested in developing programs aimed specifically at spreading awareness of psychiatric disabilities will find the Accommodating Employees with Psychiatric Disabilities DVD an invaluable resource. This closed captioned DVD uses a diverse cast of 27 different characters to explore the workplace needs of individuals with six major disabilities: Depression, anxiety, chemical dependency, bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, and psychiatric expressive disorder.
Disability education products are perhaps the best supplement to an organization’s disability training initiatives. These interactive products are capable of engaging large audiences, making them ideal for educating sizable groups of employees and management teams. Specific products can be utilized when training to accommodate individuals with psychiatric disabilities in particular. Such resources help to spread awareness and build cohesion among employees, two key ingredients to long term productivity.
(i) http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml
Oct/090
New Resource – Understanding Psychology: Mental Disorder
Understanding Psychology: Mental Disorder DVD
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Understanding_Psychology_Mental_Disorder_DVD-pid906.html
Resource #: UPMD914W
Part of the Understanding Psychology Series
Understanding Psychology: Mental Disorder DVD
What is abnormality? Using the case studies of two young women—one who has depression, one who has an anxiety disorder—as a springboard, this program presents three psychological perspectives on mental disorder.
Section one considers it as a bodily disease, identifying underlying assumptions of the biomedical model and illustrating the treatments it offers.
Section two looks at it as a disease of the mind, developing the view that the origins of some mental disorders may lie in people’s experiences. And section three outlines the basis of the constructionist perspective and the idea that mental disorder is socially defined. The increasing medicalization of behavior is also addressed.
Oct/090
Featured Product – A Reason to Live
A Reason to Live
By Perry Como
A Reason to Hope
A Reason to Hold On
A Reason to Live DVD
As a small boy in the ‘50’s my father called me the “Shadow”. Whenever possible, you would find me by his side. This particular afternoon we were off to see a friend of his. When we arrived, his friend’s daughter was on their front steps doing homework and told us to “go on in, Dad’s in the kitchen”. As we made our way to the kitchen the smell of gas surrounded us. At the kitchen door we found my father’s friend sitting on a chair in front of the stove. He had draped a blanket over his head and the open oven door and turned on the gas. Dad immediately turned it off and rushed his friend outside to the front steps, much to his daughter’s horror. At a young age the ‘Shadow’ had a very close look at suicide.
After a degree in Psychology and another in Counseling, I still don’t have answers to what I witnessed almost 55 years ago. Throughout my life and career I have not been sequestered from the subject, but that incident from so long ago, left a bigger imprint of any other. When asked to write a blog about a new DVD on the subject, my experience as a young boy came to mind. My thought was maybe there would be something to give me a little more to understand what was going on in that kitchen and why suicide has become the third leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24.
A Reason to Live is from producers who pour their heart and soul into their work. Husband and wife team, Cynthia Salzman Mondell and Allan Mondell, who are Media Projects, Inc., have done no less with this program. Cynthia and Allen have been making award winning docu-dramas and documentary films and videos for over 25 years. Their work explores a wide range of subjects but always with the goal of personalizing often complex social problems. This 52 minute film is no exception.
Probing deeply into the questions of suicide, A Reason to Live focuses on the more than 4,000 teenagers and young adults who succeed in taking their own lives every year. Using a documentary style format they capture 12 penetrating personal stories of despair and hope. As you watch the program you begin to understand depression and suicide from the individual’s perspective. Cynthia and Allan’s goal is to educate the viewer with realistic and effective steps to treat depression and prevent suicide. But before that they explore the psychological, cultural, biological and social factors contributing to depression and suicide. With this understanding, the Mondell’s make us more effective in recognizing the danger signs, getting help and hopefully, saving lives.
Cynthia and Allen’s hope is A Reason to Live will give us a deeper understanding of depression and suicidal behavior. After watching the film, I gained an insight and awareness of suicide the “Shadow” didn’t have and now know prevention is possible with early recognition and treatment.
Here are some contacts:
National Suicide Prevention Life Line 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Purchase A Reason to Live at:
Program Development Associates
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?A_Reason_to_Live_DVD-pid472.html
Oct/090
New Resource – Real Life Teens: Teen Depression
Real Life Teens: Teen Depression DVD
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Real_Life_Teens_Teen_Depression_DVD-pid882.html
Resource #: RTED964W
Part of the Real Life Teens Series
Real Life Teens: Teen Depression DVD
The Real Life Teens series takes an unbiased, realistic look, from the teen’s perspective, at the wide variety of issues teens face toda. Featuring young teenagers (not actors) telling their stories, in their own words.
The series discusses many significant issues in adolescent society and cuts through many barriers with its honest and relevant advice. The Real Life Teens is crafted by experts to solve pressing problems in today’s high schools. Give your students the advice and support they need in this complex and often overwhelming world.
Depression can be a devastating and debilitating condition for teens. It can interfere with school, social life, family life and virtually every aspect of a teen’s life. Unfortunately, teen depression is common. In this program, teens learn about the real risks of teen depression, how to identify depression and why depression interferes with a teen’s life. Students learn about self-medication and the dangers of trying to solve chemical imbalances themselves along with the warning signs of depression and why it’s important to seek help. This program also touches on the tragedy of teen suicide and what to do if you or a friend needs help. This is real advice for a dangerous and wide-spread health condition among today’s teens. Real Teens speak frankly about their “dark side”.
Subjects Covered Include:
• Defining depression.
• The warning signs of depression.
• Identifying the roots of depression.
• Depression and home life.
• Self-medication.
• Self-destructive choices.
• Getting help.
• Teen suicide.
This program is designed for use with a general high school audience, grades 8-12.
Oct/090
New Resource – Teens At Risk: Addiction and Depression
Teens at Risk: Addiction and Depression DVD
Resource #: TRAD964W
Teens At Risk… Powerful Insights Into Powerful Issues
Teens At Risk: Addiction and Depression DVD
The TEENS AT RISK series deals with powerful and relevant issues facing teenagers today. This series reveals first hand how young people deal with and overcome the very real challenges encountered as part of their growing up. Relevant to all teens and with real life messages about real life issues, these highly charged personal interviews and stories reveal, in their own words, how significant and seemingly overwhelming problems can be to overcome.
TEENS AT RISK is crafted by experts to help solve and give advise about pressing issues facing youth in school, family and adolescent society and gives viewers the messages of hope and support that are needed in this complex and often overwhelming world.
Many depressed people, especially teenagers, also have problems with alcohol and drugs. Sometimes the depression comes first and people try using drugs using drugs as a way to escape. Other times, the alcohol or other drug use come first and depression is caused by the drug itself, the withdrawal from it or the problems that substance abuse causes.
Obviously, in the long run drug or alcohol use just makes things worse. Although it is often difficult to distinguish which came first, the important point is that if someone has one or both of these problems, the sooner they get help the better, as doing nothing is a recipe for bigger trouble, like serious addiction of failing in school or in life.
Teens at Risk, teaches how to be honest about both issues- showing how depressed teens can deal effectively with their illness without substance abuse and how to communicate with people who can get into treatment – proven to be the only way to really get better and stay better.
