Winter often brings about seasonal depression, characterized by shorter days, colder weather, and more time spent indoors. These factors can negatively impact our mental health and many of those that we serve in our programs. Connecting with others, whether it’s participants, colleagues, friends, or family, through simple gestures like a greeting, a smile, or a brief conversation can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness, isolation, and disengagement. Engaging in new activities or learning new skills can also be highly effective in boosting mood and motivation.
Mental health is crucial for both individuals and those around them. While seasonal depression is a common concern, it’s crucial to remember that mental health encompasses a wide range of conditions, including various mental health diagnoses and co-occurring conditions. The individuals diagnosed may have small effects or long and recurring effects that they experience. Building rapport and trust with participants is significantly enhanced by collaborating with them. Encourage them to share their experiences, including potential challenges they may face, and actively seek their input on how you, as an employment provider, can best support them during these times.
Each person is unique, and their experiences will be highly individual. When asking about experiences, if they have disclosed that they take medications, you may ask questions about those medications and possible side effects. Some medications may cause excitability; others may cause drowsiness. Engaging in conversations with the participants about how these medications affect them is great to discuss in the intake meetings or when asking about shift/work preferences. If the participant’s medication makes them drowsy in the morning, and they feel more alert after a few hours, looking for shifts that are late morning, second shift or third shift may help them to be more alert and productive. It may also help alleviate concerns of disclosure for diagnoses, medications, or concerns that the participant doesn’t wish to disclose with the employer.
The Center on Community Living and Careers has recently rebranded with the release of the CCLC Learning Academy, and a lot of opportunities are available to learn more about specialty topics of mental health. The courses are $75 each and take four to five hours to complete. The courses also offer Continuing Education units (CEs), Professional Growth Points (PGPs), and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor credits (CRCs). The courses listed below can help you improve learning and engagement, leading to better services for your participants.
Anxiety Disorders:
This course examines the numerous factors associated with anxiety disorders, explores cultural perspectives, stigmas, and biases, and concludes with practical guidelines for addressing related employment and training issues.
Bipolar Disorders:
This course describes the specific characteristics of each type of bipolar disorder, related functional challenges, and appropriate treatment options. We discuss effective employment solutions for persons with bipolar disorders that can lead to successful employment.
Personality Disorders:
This course explains how to consider the specific characteristics of personality disorders and how they can affect interpersonal relations. We discuss career counseling and planning using motivational interviewing techniques, as well as preparation for, and obtainment of, successful employment. We discuss some techniques for dealing with conflict and drama, ensuring that you can remain objective and practice self-care.
Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders:
This course identifies the basic elements of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. We discuss stereotypes, symptoms, and potential functional limitations. We describe effective employment practices, recognize the challenges for youth with psychosis in the transition process, and discuss ways to address the issues.
Trauma-Informed Care:
This course identifies the basic elements of trauma-informed care and how it impacts success. We define trauma and trauma-informed care and review the history of trauma-informed care. We review best practices and cultural considerations, while exploring why caregiver wellness is important.
To see all the courses we offer, visit the CCLC Learning Academy webpage.