see attached
Week 4 Journal
Prior to beginning work on this journal entry,
· Read Chapter 13 from the textbook
American Social Welfare Policy: A Pluralist Approach.
·
Karger, H. J., & Stoesz, D. (2023).
American social welfare policy: A pluralist approach
(9th ed). Pearson.
·
· Read the article
Social Pathways to Care: How Community-Based Network Ties Shape the Health Care Response of Individuals with Mental Health ProblemsLinks to an external site.
.
· Read the article
Opioid Use Disorder Stigma Reduction Through Story Telling Narrative and Sharing: A Qualitative Review and Lessons LearnedLinks to an external site.
.
· Read the article
The Essential Role of Human Service Nonprofits in Restorative Justice Policy ImplementationLinks to an external site.
· Review the interactive
Michael’s Journey: Overcoming Stigma and Seeking Help.
You are a new case manager in an agency focused on helping individuals who are struggling with mental illness and substance use disorders. Michael, an unhoused 25-year-old, is in your office for an intake assessment. His demeanor is highly guarded, and he tells you he was reluctant to get help but decided to get more information about your agency’s services following the recommendation of a community meal center whose staff he trusts.
Michael reveals that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was a teenager but never received treatment. Quietly and in a detached manner, he also shares that his parents were in denial about his diagnosis and would often lock him in his room to “deal” with his “behavior.” When he was 16, he ran away from home and began using drugs to “medicate” himself.
Michael explains that as an unhoused person and a “drug addict,” he feels “invisible,” and he is fearful about seeking treatment or help because he does not want to be “committed.” Michael is struggling not only with dual diagnosis that includes mental illness and substance use disorder but also with the stigma of what it means to be an individual who is housing insecure, struggles with substance use, and is living with a mental illness.