Work and home responsibilities often feel more overwhelming during the holidays, when many people feel constantly on the go. Healthcare workers are at a higher risk of experiencing physical and emotional exhaustion and burnout during the holidays unless they prioritize self-care. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to create a healthy balance between personal and professional responsibilities during busy times of the year, including the holidays.
The Need for a Balance Between Work and Home Responsibilities
Healthcare professionals must find a healthy balance between work and home responsibilities to reduce their risk of burnout or mental health issues. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “The primary concern for burnout is not being able to emotionally take care of each patient individually or uniquely.” During the holidays, when staff often feel the most emotionally drained, clients frequently experience more challenges. Addressing the risk of healthcare worker burnout ensures clients receive appropriate care.
Creating a work-life balance involves doing the following:
- Setting specific times for work hours and personal time
- Focusing on time-intensive and high-priority tasks first
- Openly communicating needs and concerns with supervisors and family members
- Using time management tools, including apps and calendars, to track responsibilities
- Taking regular breaks
- Setting realistic personal and professional goals
The more steps a person takes to separate work from their home life, the easier it is to create a sense of balance. Healthcare workers frequently face workplace stress, and the holidays cause additional stress in their home lives. If left unaddressed, the combination of pressures may interfere with a person’s ability to function.
Maintaining Healthy Boundaries With Supervisors and Coworkers
Boundaries at work allow people to say “no” if they are asked to work additional hours or perform tasks that might negatively impact their mental and physical health. The holidays involve shopping for gifts, preparing meals, connecting with distant relatives, and other time-intensive activities. Healthcare workers must allow themselves to take the time they need to do these tasks without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. Setting clear boundaries reduces stress and will enable professionals to enjoy their holiday plans while remaining productive at work.
How Work and Home Responsibilities Can Affect Mental Health
Some of the ways work and home responsibilities impact mental health during the holidays include:
- Higher caseloads, holiday staff shortages, and increased hours increase workplace demands
- Long and irregular hours reduce time spent with family
- Holidays often intensify emotional reactions to client discomfort and pain
- Missing family traditions or events may lead to guilt, stress, and resentment
- Reduced access to support networks due to traveling or other holiday plans
Healthcare workers can take steps to protect their emotional wellness by preparing for these potential challenges before the holidays arrive. Informing loved ones of possible shifts in work hours, completing holiday shopping in advance, and doing other things to lower stress around the holidays can help healthcare workers maintain emotional stability.
Avoiding Unnecessary Tasks
The holiday season is full of personal and professional tasks people must complete to meet their goals. Avoiding unnecessary tasks can give people additional time to complete other things they must do at home or work.
Some examples of unnecessary tasks people can delegate to others or avoid entirely include:
- Household deep cleaning to impress family or neighbors
- Last-minute shopping trips
- Overly complex or extensive holiday decorations
- Personally preparing every dish for a holiday meal
- Sending personalized holiday cards to friends and family
- Attending all social events
- Responding to nonemergency work calls during time off.
Professionals significantly minimize holiday stress and anxiety by reducing home and work responsibilities.
Spending Time With Loved Ones During the Holidays
Social engagement is essential to positive mental health. Professionals are less likely to feel burnt out if they spend time with loved ones during the holidays, making new memories and enjoying the company of the people they care about most. According to Plos One, “[S]ocial connectedness protects and promotes mental and physical health.” Driftwood Recovery ensures staff members have the time to disconnect from work and spend time with their loved ones.
Practical Ways to Avoid Burnout From Work and Home Stress
Staff with mental health disorders have an increased risk of developing more severe symptoms during periods of heightened stress. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “64 percent of individuals living with a mental illness reported that their conditions worsened around the holidays.” Prioritizing self-care and taking the time to reenergize each week helps healthcare professionals avoid burnout from the combination of work and home stressors. Using self-care to address symptoms and lower stress levels can help healthcare workers with mental health disorders experience fewer side effects during the holidays. Driftwood Recovery supports staff experiencing additional stress during the holidays, ensuring they have the resources to create effective work-life boundaries.
Balancing work and home responsibilities is difficult for healthcare workers during the holiday season. Some individuals may have large family get-togethers or mandatory work events interfering with their ability to remain productive while connecting with loved ones over the holidays. Workplace stress may also interfere with personal relationships unless people establish firm boundaries between their work and home life. Driftwood Recovery supports employees’ mental health by encouraging staff members to create strict limits that set apart their personal and professional responsibilities during the holidays. Management has an open-door policy and is always available to help staff cope with stressors. To learn more about our workplace culture or treatment programs, call us today at (512) 759-8330.
Many healthcare facilities treating substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health issues see a spike in clients during the holidays. The increased caseload has the potential to cause burnout and additional stress for healthcare workers unless they take steps to prioritize their mental and physical health. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to create a healthy work-life balance and work as a team to address any increased client load during the holidays.
What Causes an Increased Client Load During the Holidays?
Holiday social gatherings may lead some people to realize their need for help. In addition, families that may not connect throughout the year often meet for holidays. Sometimes, families take the opportunity to prompt loved ones to get help. The holidays also create a sense of fellowship in many communities, causing people to reach out to individuals struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues.
Holiday plans may significantly reduce the number of healthcare workers available to take new cases. Time off for family vacations and traveling causes some departments to have fewer people available to keep up with increased client loads. Flexible scheduling and other solutions support staff without sacrificing the quality of client care.
Interventions Are More Popular During the Holidays
Many people seek treatment during the holidays. Families often use the holidays as an opportunity to host interventions or urge loved ones to get the help they need to manage substance abuse and mental health disorders. Frequently, people go directly from the intervention location to a treatment center, causing a spike in potential clients for some healthcare facilities during the holidays. Intervention specialists may contact rehabilitation programs and facilitate the transfer of intervention clients on behalf of families.
How Can Healthcare Workers Manage an Increased Client Load During the Holidays?
Clients may come all at once or as a steady stream of intakes. Healthcare professionals must find ways to manage the increased client load. Additional personal responsibilities during the holidays may make it more difficult for some professionals to focus at work. Combining additional responsibilities and more clients can stretch some people’s skills to breaking. Healthcare professionals need to plan for these moments and develop strategies to avoid emotional burnout during busy seasons.
Some of the ways staff at rehabilitation programs manage a large influx of clients during the holidays include:
- Temporarily increasing staff or cross-training to fill empty spaces in schedules
- Implementing a more streamlined intake process to more quickly assess and treat new clients
- Offering additional group therapy options to accommodate more individuals in treatment programs
- Providing flexible scheduling
- Offering telehealth services for individuals who do not require in-person care
- Partnering with private and community-based services
- Consistently communicating with families to facilitate family engagement during the holidays
Healthcare workers and supervisors can take many steps to improve the experience for clinicians and clients, reducing stress and increasing the effectiveness of treatment.
Setting Realistic Expectations and Strict Work-Life Boundaries
Professionals must set realistic expectations with clients, coworkers, family members, and friends to avoid feeling pulled in multiple directions. The best way to do this is by being specific and considering all factors affecting their ability to achieve the goal.
Clinicians treating SUD and mental health disorders often talk to clients about creating S.M.A.R.T. goals. Professionals can use the same principles to develop realistic expectations for work and home. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives is a good way to plan the steps to meet” short and long-term goals.
Making S.M.A.R.T. goals involves doing the following:
- Clearly defining what you want to achieve by setting specific goals
- Identifying criteria for tracking progress
- Setting attainable goals
- Ensuring smaller goals align with larger objectives
Structured and realistic goals set healthy expectations and increase the likelihood of success.
Effectively Navigating an Increased Client Load Without Compromising Treatment Quality
Driftwood Recovery is a leading rehabilitation center with luxury accommodations and high-quality services. The clinical team maintains high standards and provides world-class treatment programs. Staff members learn to effectively navigate increases in client loads without compromising treatment quality or client engagement. Professionals use their support network to develop healthy strategies for remaining productive with a large workload.
Practicing Self-Compassion and Self-Care
Healthcare professionals must treat themselves with grace and compassion to avoid feeling overworked and underappreciated. The holiday season is a difficult time for many people. Some professionals feel guilty for working longer hours and spending less time with family during the holiday rush. Practicing self-care and self-compassion can help healthcare professionals develop a more positive mindset.
Clients and coworkers benefit when clinicians give themselves the time and space to reenergize each week. A few examples of self-care people use to manage higher stress levels at work include:
- Spending time alone meditating or practicing mindfulness
- Participating in hobbies or other enjoyable activities
- Spending time with pets, loved ones, or social circles
- Setting clear boundaries
- Getting quality sleep each night
- Eating balanced, nutritious meals
Healthcare workers can provide exceptional care while maintaining positive mental health during the holidays.
During the winter months, many treatment facilities get inundated with new clients, contact from potential clients and their families, and alumni needing additional support navigating their first holiday sober. The increase in workload significantly impacts the emotional and physical health of clinicians and support staff. Management at Driftwood Recovery encourages employees to develop a work-life balance and set boundaries to support their mental health during the holidays. Staff need to prioritize their own well-being to provide high-quality care to clients recovering from addiction or mental health disorders. To learn more about our facility and how we support staff members during the holidays, contact our office today by calling (512) 759-8330.
The holidays can be triggering and often leave people feeling uncertain about the future. Healthcare providers often fill a critical gap for clients who lack a support system at home. Clients with less support from friends or family may experience additional stress, loneliness, or anxiety during the holiday season. Addressing these issues immediately reduces their impact on a client’s rehabilitation. Staff members at Driftwood Recovery support clients by providing additional emotional and practical support during the holidays.
Providing Emotional Support to Clients During the Holidays
Healthcare professionals play an essential role in empowering and uplifting clients during their recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) or dual diagnosis. Professionals in healthcare do this by providing emotional support to clients during the holidays. Many clients in treatment do not have family members able or willing to spend the holidays with them during the treatment process. The lack of family support may cause some clients to backslide and rely on maladaptive coping mechanisms to make it through the holiday season. Healthcare workers reduce the risk of relapse and keep clients moving forward in their recovery by providing additional support and encouragement during the holidays.
Managing Triggers and Reducing Stress
The holidays are when many people get together with friends and loved ones to celebrate the year. Past events may have involved alcohol or other addictive substances, causing clients to experience intense cravings during the holiday season. People also experience additional stress related to holiday get-togethers.
Some of the most common stress triggers clients experience during the holidays include:
- Questions from loved ones about the future
- Loneliness
- Being separated from friends or family
- Mourning the loss of a loved one
- Cravings caused by holiday imagery involving alcohol
Triggers may cause significant emotional distress and potential complications for clients in recovery. Healthcare professionals decrease the adverse side effects of cravings and other symptoms of SUD by helping clients manage triggers. Emotional support and therapeutic guidance help clients navigate holiday triggers without feeling overwhelmed or falling back into unhealthy patterns.
How Do the Holidays Impact the Mental Health of Clients in Residential or Outpatient Care?
Mental health directly affects physical wellness and a person’s outlook on life. Individuals in outpatient and residential care may face different challenges during the holidays. For example, clients in residential programs may miss being able to travel to visit loved ones for the holiday, increasing feelings of isolation or shame. However, clients in outpatient programs may struggle to meet family expectations or feel overwhelmed by stigmas and triggers they encounter during holiday events. Healthcare professionals help mitigate these issues by preparing clients in advance and ensuring they have the skills to effectively cope with holiday-related stressors. Addressing mental health needs helps clients remain safe and move forward in their recovery journey.
Family Pressure to Meet Recovery Goals
Intense family pressure to meet recovery goals is one of the most significant stressors for many clients during the holidays. Often, families are unaware of the realities of addiction, and they may believe a few weeks of treatment will “cure” their loved one. However, the disease of addiction takes time and effort to manage. Clients may struggle to communicate their experiences with loved ones or worry about letting their family down. People often experience shame, regret, anger, and other strong emotions about their choices and current circumstances during the holidays. Healthcare professionals provide an outside perspective and encourage clients to continue healing.
Making The Holidays a Positive Experience for Clients
Everyone deserves to feel heard, understood, and encouraged during the holidays. Healthcare professionals help clients by making the holidays a positive experience. Putting in the extra effort to make every interaction uplifting and compassionate may inspire clients and make day-to-day tasks more enjoyable for healthcare workers. Mindfulness-based exercises and techniques improve positivity and reduce stress management. According to Cureus, “Mindfulness-based interventions have [. . .] demonstrated benefits.” For example, “Healthcare workers in qualitative studies have described benefits for themselves, their colleagues, and their patients, such as nurses who reported improvements in coping with workplace stress and developing feelings of inner calm.” Staff members at Driftwood Recovery use mindfulness-based techniques to improve productivity and provide higher-quality service to clients in rehabilitation.
Celebrating Milestones in Recovery and Building Deeper Connections
Healthcare workers play an important part in motivating clients to make essential lifestyle changes that support lasting recovery. Celebrating milestones with clients during the holidays can uplift their spirits and give them additional motivation. The staff at Driftwood Recovery treats every client like a family member and takes steps to celebrate every single success in treatment, no matter how large or small. Focusing on the positives helps clients and clinicians remain healthy and purposeful in their actions. The holiday season is an excellent time to check in on treatment progress and make new goals for the future. Staff at Driftwood Recovery use the opportunity to help clients focus on the future.
Treating clients during the holidays requires healthcare workers to dedicate more time to clients who may not have others to support them. Clients may feel more lonely and separated from others if they are forced to attend residential treatment during the holiday season. Healthcare workers encourage those individuals by practicing empathy and compassion. The holiday season often significantly increases client cases, putting stress on treatment facilities and individual staff members. Driftwood Recovery provides additional services to help clients and staff navigate holiday-related stressors successfully. By addressing staffing concerns, management ensures clients receive the highest level of care. To learn more about our facility and thriving sober community, call our office today at (512) 759-8330.
Oppositional defiance disorder is a poorly understood mental health condition. Though usually seen in children, this condition can affect adults as well. Many of these adults struggle with patterns of anger and vindictiveness without knowing its source. It can be severe enough that adults struggling with oppositional defiance disorder turn to self-medicating to ease their symptoms. In the end, self-medicating often leads to substance abuse and addiction. Oppositional defiance disorder is not just an isolating condition. It also can be life-threatening.
That’s why at Driftwood Recovery, clients living with oppositional defiance disorder can find comprehensive and compassionate treatment. The staff at Driftwood Recovery understands that the drive behind these behaviors is not the client’s fault. However, with treatment, adults with oppositional defiance disorder can learn how to control their behavior and cope with their condition. In time, these adults can live healthy, fulfilling lives. All it takes is the willingness to reach out for help.
To see how oppositional defiance disorder is treated, we must first gain an understanding of the condition. This education serves two purposes. First, it educates the average person about this condition and encourages empathy and understanding. Secondly, it provides hope to those struggling with oppositional defiance disorder that treatment and recovery are possible for themselves and their loved ones.
A Brief Overview of Oppositional Defiance Disorder
Oppositional defiance disorder (or oppositional defiant disorder) is a condition identified by the DSM-5 as “a pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or vindictiveness.” This disorder is typically diagnosed in children, but adults may also be diagnosed with oppositional defiance disorder as well. Children often outgrow this condition, but about half of them will continue to experience symptoms through adulthood. Oppositional defiance disorder is genetic and will often affect several members of a family line.
The angry, defiant, and vindictive behavior is usually targeted toward positions of authority, perceived or real. Examples include parents, teachers, coworkers, bosses, and law enforcement officials. This makes it difficult for adults with oppositional defiance disorder to function at work, home, or school. Common symptoms of oppositional defiance disorder are:
- Commonly feeling oppressed or “kept down” by an authority figure or rules
- Loses temper often, which can sometimes result in violent behaviors
- Is easily annoyed by others
- Argues constantly with family and coworkers with a distinct need to “win” the argument
- Intense feelings of anger and resentment
- Is highly defensive when criticized and blames others for their mistakes or misbehavior
- Actively refuses to comply with rules or laws, even when detrimental to personal safety
- Deliberately annoys people or pick fights
- Engages in spiteful or vindictive behaviors
Note that oppositional defiance disorder is not a person with a bad temper. This is a serious condition that prevents a person from living a normal life – as seen by its effect on a person’s mental health.
The Effects of Oppositional Defiance Disorder on Mental Health
Adults who live with oppositional defiance disorder are not just angry or irritable from time to time. They struggle with feelings of intense anger at the world every day. Losing your temper is a regular occurrence. This may manifest in dangerous activities, such as road rage or picking fights with law enforcement. Those struggling with this condition may also become verbally or physically abusive – abuse which is often levied at the people they love and care about. There are times when those with this condition put themselves in deadly danger by disobeying those they feel are in authority, which often leads to accidents and other preventable harm.
It’s not just issues like getting into trouble with the law, losing a job, or putting oneself in danger. Oppositional defiance disorder is an incredibly isolating condition. Those who know they are constantly angry may withdraw from others to protect their loved ones. They often struggle with feelings of being disliked or misunderstood, which can feed into the cycle of anger. Oppositional defiance disorder often leads to other mental health conditions, such as depression, addiction, and antisocial personality disorder.
That’s why it’s vital for those struggling with this condition to get help; the sooner, the better. Treatment doesn’t just improve relationships and help you feel better – it can also save your life.
Compassionate Treatment at Driftwood Recovery
Treatment at Driftwood Recovery for oppositional defiance disorder consists of a combination of psychotherapy, medication, and coping skills training. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is perhaps the most used form of psychotherapy in the treatment of this condition. It helps clients identify what triggers their condition and grasp the consequences of their actions. Therapists also use CBT to help clients learn relaxation techniques to keep them calm during angering situations.
Emotional regulation is also important for oppositional defiance disorder treatment. It teaches clients how to react to anger-provoking situations with socially appropriate responses. Emotional regulation also teaches clients how to be more aware of their emotions. Doing so can mitigate outbursts and help clients think through their actions before they commit to them. Peer group therapy is commonly part of treatment plans for oppositional defiance disorder as it offers training for clients on how to appropriately interact with their peers. The goal is to focus on having positive interactions, not combative ones.
Finally, medication is sometimes used to address coexisting conditions. For example, a person with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may feel frustrated, which can feed into outbursts and worsen the symptoms of oppositional defiance disorder. Providing medication can reduce the frustrating effect of ADHD, which in turn reduces the symptoms of oppositional defiance disorder.
It’s important to remember that even though it looks daunting, oppositional defiance disorder is a treatable condition. Reaching out for help at Driftwood Recovery doesn’t just help treat this misunderstood condition – it can also give you a new lease on life.
Those living with oppositional defiance disorder can experience many hardships. Keeping a job, having a healthy relationship with parents, and even staying out of legal trouble are made much more difficult with this disorder. For those struggling, it can feel hopeless. Oppositional defiance disorder, however, is a treatable condition. Those who seek treatment have a high likelihood of success and long-lasting recovery. That’s why Driftwood Recovery in Driftwood and Austin, Texas, offers extensive and comprehensive treatment for oppositional defiance disorder. There is no judgment here, only the sincere desire to help. If you or a loved one is struggling, don’t wait. Learn more about our oppositional defiance disorder treatment plan today by calling (512) 759-8330.
Sustained recovery is not about just getting by or getting through the day. True whole-person recovery is about giving you the tools and support you need to thrive in every part of your life. As the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (ODMHAS) states, recovery requires a community for individual sustained recovery. Community engagement is an important and necessary process for healing and reintegration into society.
At Driftwood Recovery, we recognize that an important part of sustained recovery is community integration. Through community engagement, you can reintegrate into your community and society to build a meaningful life without substances. When you continue to invest in yourself and community building in recovery, you continue to learn and grow. Yet, what is community engagement?
Understanding Community Engagement
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), community engagement is the process of developing relationships that enable communities to work together to address health-related issues and promote well-being. Although community engagement can take many forms, the core principles that can be supported in a recovery community include:
- Transparency
- Trust
- Diversity
- Inclusion
- Collaboration
- Shared purpose
- Openness
- Learning
- Making a difference in the community
Through community engagement, you work together with other community members to address health issues and stigma to promote well-being. The work is done in collaboration with the community’s health in mind, which puts the value of whole-person healing at the forefront of recovery. When you utilize your alumni program to help others, you deepen your sense of purpose and connection with the wider community. Understanding what community-based treatment is can be invaluable to fostering sustained connection and recovery.
What Is Community-Based Treatment?
In traditional outreach and treatment programs, the focus is placed on abstinence and reducing the risk of relapse. Abstinence and relapse prevention are important cornerstones of treatment and recovery. However, true recovery is about more than maintaining your sobriety. As noted in Frontiers in Psychiatry, treatment and recovery must also work to heal other domains of life like social rehabilitation and inclusion. By taking a community engagement approach to recovery, you can support healing the whole of your parts rather than one piece of the pie.
Yet, what is community-based treatment? What does community engagement look like for lasting recovery? As further noted in the Frontiers in Psychiatry article, community-based treatment takes a recovery-oriented perspective to recovery. A recovery-oriented approach to community engagement understands that treatment and recovery services need to adapt to people’s needs instead of people adapting to service requirements. Many of the practices and services found in recovery-oriented models of community engagement include:
- Supporting special subgroups
- Culturally responsive
- Gender-specific
- Comorbid disorders
- Housing security
- Supported employment
- Develop skills to manage symptoms
- Active involvement in local organizations
Whole-person care and community engagement can be invaluable to lasting recovery. Yet, much like treatment itself, some barriers attempt to impede your ability to reintegrate into society after treatment.
Addressing the Challenges of Reintegration in Recovery
In treatment, you learn and develop tools for self-efficacy, symptom management, hope, and empowerment. Despite the tools you developed in treatment, learning how to reintegrate into your life and society can be challenging. Many systems are not designed with the needs of different communities in mind. For many individuals in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD), there are stigma-based barriers that impede maintaining recovery.
People in recovery often experience public, structural, and self-stigma that contribute to psychological and tangible resource barriers. As stated in the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, stigma exposure to societal prejudice and discrimination can harm recovery. Listed below are some of the ways SUD stigma impedes community engagement for reintegration:
- Increases stress
- Social withdrawal and isolation
- Decreases motivation
- Erodes self-esteem
- Decreases self-efficacy
- Internalizing stigma
- Feeling culturally disconnected
- Identity crisis
- Employment and housing instability
- Poor access to healthcare
- Small or nonexistent support network
Barriers to sustained recovery can feel daunting. However, you can overcome obstacles to reintegration with alumni support. With support, you can lean on your sober community to help you access resources for community engagement and recovery.
The Value of Community Engagement in Recovery
Community engagement is important for helping you discover the sense of purpose and meaning needed for motivation to sustain recovery. You foster a sense of belonging by actively participating in services and resources like support groups, volunteer work, sober events, workshops, and community activities. Further, through community engagement, you can find support, understanding, encouragement, guidance, and accountability to thrive in recovery. Often, feelings of guilt and shame around addiction can convince you that you are not wanted or deserving of connection and community.
However, community engagement, at its core, is built on the idea that social connectedness helps you feel supported, valued, and cared for in your relationships. The sense of belonging that connection and community offer is a fountain of positivity and courage that empowers you to grow and flourish. Community engagement reminds you that you are not alone in your recovery journey. You are deserving of healing and recovery.
Learning How to Reintegrate Into Your Community at Driftwood Recovery
At Driftwood Recovery, we know recovery is a journey that continues long after addiction treatment. A strong, active alumni community reminds you that you are not alone on your journey to recovery. With support, reintegration does not have to be a frightening thing. Rather, alumni offer compassion, service, accountability, and the encouragement needed to thrive in every domain of life.
You are worthy of self-love, you are worthy of recovery, and you deserve space for learning and growth to lead a fulfilling life. We are dedicated to providing an active alumni program to support community engagement and reintegration to lead a courageous life in sustained recovery.
Community engagement fosters a sense of belonging that allows for whole-person healing and reintegration. Yet, it can be difficult to engage in the connection offered in community engagement due to barriers like public and structural stigma. Stigma can limit access to resources while contributing to guilt and shame, which leads to social withdrawal rather than engagement. Through a strong alumni program, you can access community-based treatment and other resources to address multiple domains in need of healing, like housing, employment, and interpersonal relationships. At Driftwood Recovery, we are dedicated to providing a peer-driven network where you can build lifelong connections in a community that celebrates you at every stage of recovery. Call us at (512) 759-8330 to learn more.
Individuals in minority groups may find it more difficult to access necessary treatment. Healthcare workers play an important role in connecting clients with the services they need to thrive in recovery. According to Health Services Research, “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people are populations at elevated risk for mental health disorders, substance abuse, and psychiatric comorbidity relative to their heterosexual and cisgender peers.” Driftwood Recovery offers an affirming therapeutic space for LGBTQIA+ clients to heal from the effects of substance use disorder (SUD) and dual diagnosis.
Addressing the Challenges LGBTQIA+ Clients Face in Treatment
LGBTQIA+ clients may face additional challenges during treatment and ongoing recovery. Healthcare providers must consider these factors during treatment planning and throughout rehabilitation. Individuals in minority groups often face greater stigma and social discrimination during treatment. In addition, many LGBTQIA+ individuals do not have a stable support system to help them navigate treatment and ongoing recovery. Staff members may need to step up and take on more of a support role, providing clients with additional resources and services to fill gaps in their support system.
How Clinicians Support LGBTQIA+ Clients
LGBTQIA+ clients may need more one-on-one and community assistance compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers. Some of the practical ways staff support LGBTQIA+ clients during treatment for SUD include:
- Offering access to gender-specific and LGBTQIA+ support groups
- Providing access to LGBTQIA+ relevant aftercare resources
- Using inclusive and gender-affirming language
- Creating a safe and non-judgmental environment
- Ensuring privacy and confidentiality regarding sexual orientation and gender identity
- Providing trauma-specific care for clients who may have experienced discrimination
Driftwood Recovery educates the community on how to combat stigmas and discrimination, creating a more inclusive space for client healing. Healthcare workers provide guidance and motivation for minority clients struggling with the effects of SUD or dual diagnosis. Personalizing support services to address the unique needs of LGBTQIA+ individuals ensures a better treatment experience for clients and clinicians.
Healthcare Professionals Create a Safe Space
LGBTQIA+ clients may find it more challenging to open up about their experiences. Healthcare professionals can break down that barrier by building trust and creating a safe space where clients feel comfortable expressing themselves. The relationship of trust starts during the initial intake interview.
Some of the ways healthcare workers create a safe space for LGBTQIA+ clients include:
- Displaying inclusive symbols of support, including pride flags or ally signs
- Using intake and assessment forms that include diverse forms of gender identity and sexual orientation
- Including LGBTQIA+ cultural competency training for all staff members
- Building partnerships with LGBTQIA+ organizations that offer support services for clients
- Using inclusive language in all reading materials and treatment sessions
Healthcare professionals play a significant role in normalizing positive and affirming conversations about gender identity and sexual orientation.
Building Trust and Developing Personalized Care Plans
Personalized care plans allow clinicians to address unique issues impacting clients and their recovery from substance use or mental health disorders. Tailoring treatment also builds trust by showing clients that clinicians care about their comfort, safety, and personal goals. Culturally competent care is essential to ensure positive treatment outcomes.
Studies have shown that “[t]he healthcare needs of the LGBTQ community should be considered to provide the best care and avoid inequalities of care.” Healthcare professionals use comprehensive assessments and other tools to create effective care plans addressing the needs of LGBTQIA+ clients.
How Driftwood Recovery Supports LGBTQIA+ Clients
Driftwood Recovery welcomes individuals of all cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. Staff members receive sensitivity training and other instructions to help them best serve each individual in their care. The thorough intake assessments and client-focused programs at Driftwood Recovery provide clinicians with the necessary tools to ensure clients receive the care they need to heal.
Addiction and mental health professionals address the needs of LGBTQIA+ clients by doing the following:
- Using inclusive language and respecting client pronouns, names, and gender identities
- Addressing risk factors that disproportionately affect LGBTQIA+ individuals
- Identifying and addressing any heteronormative or cisnormative assumptions in treatment planning
Every client deserves to feel respected and valued during treatment. Healthcare professionals can consult with community-based support programs and services focused on providing care to the LGBTQIA+ community.
Access to An Affirming and Empowering Community
Driftwood Recovery offers clients access to an affirming and empowering community of peers. Healthcare professionals collaborate with clients to ensure that peers engage with one another and actively participate in the treatment process. LGBTQIA+ individuals may struggle with low self-esteem and self-confidence. Empowerment through evidence-based and alternative holistic therapies promotes more positive thoughts and healthier behaviors. Recovering from substance abuse and mental health disorders is more manageable when people feel comfortable speaking up about their needs. The inclusive community at Driftwood Recovery encourages clinicians and clients to support and uplift one another.
Individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+ often face additional challenges during and after treatment for substance use and mental health disorders. LGBTQIA+ clients also have a higher risk of experiencing co-occurring conditions and severe symptoms. Healthcare professionals can take steps to create a nurturing space for LGBTQIA+ individuals, reducing their risk of relapse and improving treatment outcomes. Driftwood Recovery offers a safe and welcoming space for anyone seeking treatment. Staff members receive culturally sensitive training and offer trauma-specific care to help clients heal and build a healthy foundation for sobriety and positive mental health. To learn more about our inclusive programs and how our experts support LGBTQIA+ clients, call our office today at (512) 759-8330.
Trust is vital to the client-clinician relationship during treatment for substance use and mental health disorders. People in treatment may have a history of negative experiences with medical personnel or authority figures. Establishing trust with the care team is a part of the initial intake process. According to BMC Psychology, “Trust and respect may be an important component of client-provider relationships.” The experts at Driftwood Recovery have created a safe and welcoming space for clients and their loved ones to receive treatment.
Why Is Establishing Trust Important?
Trust keeps clients engaged and willing to open up with their care team. Developing that relationship early in treatment promotes faster healing and better outcomes. Healthcare professionals are responsible for providing clients with a safe and comfortable environment for healing. Creating a bond of trust facilitates a deeper connection between clients and staff members, ensuring clients feel confident following their care provider’s advice. People are more likely to engage with healthcare workers and actively participate in their recovery if they trust their care team.
Trust is vital in developing a healthy therapeutic relationship with clients. Professionals in treatment programs foster trust by doing the following:
- Creating a safe and supportive environment
- Actively listening to clients and responding to their concerns
- Maintaining confidentiality and protecting client records
- Respecting cultural, religious, and personal boundaries
- Encouraging open and honest communication
- Modeling healthy behaviors and interactions
Healthcare workers guide clients through recovery, preparing them to transition out of structured care and into aftercare. Reintegrating back into the community is more manageable for clients who trust the interactions and advice of their care team. Clients are often more willing to develop new behaviors and routines if they feel supported by professionals who have their best interests in mind.
Building a Healthy Client-Clinician Relationship
Treatment programs only work if staff find ways to engage clients. Collaboration between clients and staff requires trust and a willingness to make necessary lifestyle changes. Some people participating in treatment find it difficult to stop maladaptive behaviors or negative thought patterns. Clinicians who develop a deeper connection with clients help them overcome these barriers to recovery.
A healthy client-clinician relationship involves the following:
- Effective communication
- Compassion and empathy
- Mutual respect
- Collaborative goal setting
- Consistent support and follow-up
- Regular progress monitoring
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Offering constructive feedback
- Cultural sensitivity and awareness
- A non-judgmental approach to client care
Staff at Driftwood Recovery prioritize individualized care and offer clients one-on-one therapy sessions to help people heal from the effects of substance use disorder (SUD) or dual diagnosis. Clinicians benefit from encouraging client autonomy and empowering clients to make informed decisions about their care.
Challenges Clinicians Face When Establishing Trust
Some of the most common challenges addiction recovery and mental health experts face when establishing trust with new clients include:
- Helping clients overcome hesitancy due to past trauma or negative experiences with treatment programs
- Resistance from clients who may be in denial about their condition and need for treatment
- Stigmas surrounding treatment may make clients feel ashamed or have difficulty opening up about their experiences
- Navigating cultural or language barriers during treatment sessions
- Managing unrealistic client expectations and treatment goals
- Creating professional boundaries to reduce the risk of miscommunication
- Ensuring clients feel secure and safe sharing their experiences in treatment
Clinicians use evidence-based and complementary modalities to address factors impacting client trust. Overcoming challenges involves tailoring care to client needs and adjusting expectations to reflect the realities of recovering from SUD. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to be open and transparent with clients to foster trust and build a stronger bond.
Establishing Trust Between Clients and Clinicians at Driftwood Recovery
Clients often have expectations about treatment based on their past experience with medical professionals or rehabilitation programs. Sometimes, those expectations can get in the way of healing by stopping clients from fully engaging in treatment. Healthcare professionals at Driftwood Recovery address these problems by providing psychoeducation and other resources to clients. People are more likely to trust clinicians who display expertise in their field. Educational sessions also build trust and ensure clients fully understand what to expect from each stage of treatment.
Developing a Deeper Connection With Clients
Healthcare professionals develop deeper connections with clients by doing the following:
- Showing empathy and compassion
- Creating a safe space where clients feel comfortable expressing themselves
- Providing ongoing support and consistent care between treatment programs
- Validating client experiences and offering affirmations to empower clients
- Promoting a sense of partnership through collaboration
Driftwood Recovery helps experts connect with clients by providing a multidisciplinary approach to client care. The care team collaborates closely with clients and their loved ones to build a foundation of trust and understanding. Strengthening the client-clinician relationship during treatment benefits everyone involved in the recovery process.
Many people diagnosed with substance abuse or mental health disorders have experienced trauma that affects their ability to trust in their care team during treatment. A lack of trust seriously limits the effectiveness of treatment and strains the client-clinician relationship. Healthcare professionals can help clients feel more comfortable by learning to identify and address underlying issues affecting trust and interpersonal engagement. Addiction recovery and mental health experts at Driftwood Recovery receive training to help them navigate complex cases. Professionals use various resources and techniques to ensure clients and their loved ones feel safe, comfortable, and heard through every stage of treatment. To learn more about our treatment programs and how our facility supports a healthy client-clinician relationship, call (512) 759-8330.
Individuals working in healthcare must practice compassion and empathy with every client to provide the best care. Some professionals may struggle with compassion fatigue (CF) if they experience chronic stress or other issues impacting their mental health. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Professionals regularly exposed to the traumatic experiences of the people they service, such as healthcare, emergency and community service workers, are particularly susceptible to developing CF.” Driftwood Recovery helps staff avoid compassion fatigue by providing professional support and encouraging a healthy work-life balance.
What Is Compassion Fatigue?
People experience compassion fatigue after being exposed to the trauma of others. CF takes time to develop, and multiple factors influence who may experience it. According to the previously mentioned article by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “CF has been described as the convergence of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and cumulative burnout (BO), a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by a depleted ability to cope with one’s everyday environment.”
Individuals with the following may have a higher risk of CF:
- Lack of professional support
- Reduced social support
- Lack of practical coping skills
- Insufficient training to address trauma
- Personal history of trauma
- Difficulties maintaining emotional stability
- Mental health disorders
- Reduced stress threshold
Many potential factors impact who develops compassion fatigue. The condition often causes guilt, shame, and other negative feelings, compounding the adverse effects of CF. Addressing the underlying causes of CF and finding healthy ways to express compassion and empathy can help healthcare workers create a better work-life balance.
3 Ways to Manage Compassion Fatigue
Individuals with CF often feel overwhelmed by the trauma of others. The condition may affect relationships, work productivity, and overall health. Driftwood Recovery supports employees and provides them with the tools and resources to manage stress effectively. Finding positive ways to manage compassion fatigue reduces the potential side effects and improves the treatment process for clients and professionals. Below are three of the ways healthcare workers address and manage CF.
#1. Emotional and Social Support
Seeking emotional and social support from loved ones and peers is the most effective method for managing the increased stress of CF. Healthcare workers often work long hours. Making the time to connect in person, over the phone, or in text with a support system, including workplace and personal support networks, reduces stress and provides critical cathartic release. Discussing the effects of someone else’s trauma can stabilize emotional responses and improve resilience. Many healthcare workers gain greater social and emotional support by prioritizing spending time with loved ones and building mutually empowering relationships with coworkers.
#2. Setting Clear Work-Life Boundaries
Often, healthcare workers have extended hours, inconsistent schedules, and other factors interfering with their ability to establish clear work-life boundaries. The lack of work-life balance can cause some people to experience burnout and compassion fatigue. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “Our workplaces play a significant role in our lives,” affecting “both our physical and mental well-being — in good ways and bad.”
Driftwood Recovery encourages staff to set firm limits to reduce the emotional impact of work stressors. Creating boundaries allows people to practice self-care and establish healthy routines supporting emotional stability. Stress management is more manageable for individuals who set a clear line between their work and home lives.
#3. Treating Yourself With Compassion
Compassion fatigue often causes people to stop treating themselves with kindness and grace. According to Psychology Research and Behavior Management, “The importance of cultivating self-compassion is an often neglected issue among mental health professionals despite the risks to occupational well-being present in psychological care, such as burnout or compassion fatigue.” Taking the time to practice introspection often helps people identify if they have begun to treat themselves callously due to compassion fatigue. Self-awareness reduces negativity and fosters self-compassion.
How Does Driftwood Recovery Help Professionals Avoid Compassion Fatigue?
Many factors contribute to the development of CF and emotional burnout. Driftwood Recovery helps professionals avoid CF and other problems in the workplace by creating a supportive and caring environment where coworkers uplift one another and normalize conversations about mental health. Staff members are encouraged to speak with management if they feel emotionally overwhelmed. Various resources are available to meet employee mental health needs. Driftwood Recovery understands the importance of prioritizing professionals’ emotional and physical health during and after work.
The management team helps healthcare professionals avoid compassion fatigue by doing the following:
- Providing training to recognize the signs of CF
- Offering mental health resources
- Encouraging a healthy work-life balance through flexible scheduling and time-off policies
- Promoting peer support
- Encouraging honest and open communication
- Implementing manageable caseloads
- Offering professional development opportunities
- Regularly assessing workplace stressors and addressing them with policy updates
Driftwood Recovery supports every staff member and provides them with essential guidance during moments of high stress. Professionals can avoid CF by relying on workplace support services and other resources to manage stress.
Individuals who feel compassion and empathy for others often enter healthcare fields to provide support to individuals in need. However, constantly being exposed to the trauma and suffering of others can have a negative impact on a professional’s mental health unless they learn effective ways of managing their emotional responses. Compassion fatigue is a common concern among individuals working in healthcare. Mental health and addiction recovery specialist have a higher risk of being exposed to multiple secondhand traumas throughout their career. Driftwood Recovery protects employees from compassion fatigue by providing training and resources. All staff members receive the support of managers and coworkers as they develop healthy coping mechanisms. To learn more about our workplace policies, call (512) 759-8330
Families often play an integral role in client recovery during treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health conditions. Healthcare professionals must navigate the family dynamics affecting client care and safety. Studies have shown that “family dynamics and the quality of family relationships can positively or negatively impact health.” Driftwood Recovery does comprehensive assessments and a full client history to determine if family relationships may complicate treatment and long-term recovery. Staff members use a compassionate approach to address client families and their concerns.
What Is a Safety Risk?
Safety risks are factors that negatively impact the emotional or physical well-being of individuals in treatment. Families play an important role in creating a healthy and nurturing environment for recovery. According to the Research Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (RAHRQ), “As essential members of the care team, families play a critical role in reducing harm and improving safety for patients.” However, in some cases, unhealthy family dynamics may pose a danger to individuals in treatment.
Examples of client safety risks healthcare providers may encounter include:
- Self-harming or self-destructive behaviors
- Adverse reactions to treatment or prescription medications
- Clients not understanding their treatment or making informed decisions about their care
- Family members removing clients from care against medical advice
Client safety is a top priority for the experts at Driftwood Recovery. Staff members regularly check in with clients and practice transparency to ensure clients feel comfortable disclosing any concerns. Clinicians and support staff understand the importance of remaining vigilant to signs of unsafe individuals interacting with clients. Communication or visitation rights may be revoked for individuals who pose a safety hazard to clients or staff.
Assessing Client Families and Relationship Dynamics
Healthcare professionals must assess clients to determine what underlying factors may impact their mental health and physical safety. Family relationships significantly affect how people see the world and think about their condition. Unhealthy family dynamics may cause some clients to feel ambivalent about treatment. Toxic relationships may also cause physical safety issues if they lead to domestic or family abuse.
Some of the ways healthcare professionals assess clients and their relationships with family members include:
- Gathering a family history
- Direct observation of family interactions and behavioral cues
- Structured interviews with clients and families
- Identifying roles within the family to determine relationship dynamics
- Assessing boundaries within the family
- Gaining cultural and socioeconomic context for clients and their families
- Identifying client resources and support networks
Healthcare professionals use these methods to better understand the relationships between clients and their family members. A comprehensive review of family dynamics allows staff members to create tailored care plans and address unique challenges clients face during treatment and ongoing recovery.
How Can Client Families Become a Safety Risk?
Families may pose a physical or emotional safety risk to clients by interfering with treatment or putting clients in danger. Healthcare professionals are mandatory reporters and must act if they notice any abuse affecting clients under their care.
Families may become a safety risk if they do the following:
- Enable substance abuse or other unhealthy behaviors
- Cause clients to be overly dependent on them for emotional or practical support
- Act abusive or aggressive toward the client
- Purposefully expose clients to triggers
- Dismiss the client’s need for treatment due to ignorance or stigma
- Violate client boundaries
- Emotionally manipulate the client
- Involve the client in illegal activities
- Fail to acknowledge or address toxic behavior
Clients may have difficulty recognizing unhealthy relationship dynamics. Staff may need to help clients work through understanding how remaining in unhealthy relationships could reduce the effectiveness of treatment, increase the risk of relapse, and cause them to experience complications in recovery.
Navigating Communication With Client Families During Treatment
Healthcare professionals should remain objective, calm, and focused on conflict resolution while communicating with families. Honesty and transparency also reduce the risk of causing further complications. Ultimately, clients control what information their care team can share with family members. Navigating conversations with client families should be handled with compassion and professionalism.
Following the HIPAA Privacy Rule
Healthcare professionals must adhere to HIPPA privacy laws while providing support and guidance to clients during treatment. Client information, medical records, and treatment progress cannot be shared with unauthorized family members without the client’s permission.
Toxic or unhealthy family dynamics often cause abusive and controlling family members to try to take control of their loved one’s treatment. Even well-meaning families may struggle to let go of control if clients choose not to include them in their recovery. Staff members must navigate those conversations with empathy and professionalism.
Following HIPAA requirements means clinicians and support staff cannot share the following with family members without client permission:
- Conversations between medical professionals about the client’s health and treatment
- Client contact information, including phone number and home address
- Information about billing and payments
- Client health records, including test results and official diagnosis
- Additional details of the treatment plan
Staff members at Driftwood Recovery protect clients by providing referrals to protective services for individuals struggling with relationship abuse or conflict.
Healthcare professionals may have to navigate situations where clients and their families have unhealthy or dangerous relationships. Domestic violence, abuse, severely co-dependent relationships, and other family dynamics may hurt a client’s mental health and/or substance abuse recovery during treatment. Family members often play a role in treatment and recovery. Rehabilitation and mental health programs provide clients with the resources and tools needed to address unhealthy or unsafe family dynamics. The staff members at Driftwood Recovery receive training on how to recognize and respond appropriately if clients’ families pose any type of safety risk. To learn more about maintaining client safety and addressing family issues, contact our office today at (512) 759-8330.
Some individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) or mental health issues require a higher level of care to address their unique situation and needs. Studies have shown that “[a]t the point of referral, there is both an opportunity to address a client’s unmet needs and a potential danger of losing the client.” Keeping the client engaged in treatment is essential to ensuring their recovery. The dedicated experts at Driftwood Recovery offer referrals to higher levels of care for individuals who need additional support to achieve and maintain sobriety or positive mental health.
Why Do Some Clients Require a Higher Level of Care?
Clients may have medical or behavioral issues impacting their ability to participate in lower levels of care. For example, some individuals with severe and persistent depression may require residential care to ensure they receive the best support and treatment for their condition. Individuals struggling with active eating disorders, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, and severe withdrawal from alcohol or drugs may benefit from 24/7 access to medical supervision and more comprehensive support services.
Some of the most common reasons clients receive referrals for higher levels of care include:
- A complex diagnosis
- Severe symptoms
- Rare side effects
- High risk of relapse
- Medical complications
- A need for specialized therapies
- Lack of a support system
- High-risk or self-destructive behaviors
- Significant behavioral issues
- Resistance to treatment
Some clients may have difficulty trusting healthcare providers and staff members due to past negative treatment experiences. Higher levels of care provide clients with one-on-one services and detailed follow-ups with clinicians.
The Role of Assessments in Determining Care
Assessments help clinicians determine the level of care clients need to experience the best outcomes. Client interviews, assessments, and other screening tools provide healthcare workers with a comprehensive understanding of each client’s needs. Experts at Driftwood Recovery use assessments to tailor client treatment plans by evaluating risk factors, symptoms, side effects, and underlying issues impacting client mental health. Clinicians benefit from frequently assessing clients throughout treatment, allowing them to adjust the care plan to address new concerns or changes in client symptoms.
Client Safety in Treatment Planning
The safety of clients and staff members is the highest priority during treatment planning. If clinicians believe clients may become a danger to themselves or others, they will suggest more appropriate forms of treatment. Collaboration between clients and clinicians ensures people in treatment feel heard, understood, and supported.
Some of the ways healthcare professionals help clients remain safe and comfortable during treatment include:
- Conducting comprehensive risk assessments during the initial interview and regularly throughout treatment
- Personalizing treatment and aftercare plans
- Communicating expectations to clients and their families
- Obtaining informed consent for every service and stage of treatment
- Creating a secure and nurturing environment
- Conducting regular safety and progress reviews to determine if client needs are being met
The experts at Driftwood Recovery work closely with clients to ensure they feel comfortable and engaged in treatment. If clients do not meet their recovery goals or begin to experience more severe symptoms, clinicians may refer them to a higher level of care.
When to Refer Clients to a Higher Level of Care
Healthcare professionals must ensure clients do not interfere with the recovery of peers in treatment. Individuals who require higher levels of care may need additional clinician support, taking time and focus away from other clients. If clients present a danger to themselves and others or a barrier to treatment for themselves and others, healthcare professionals may provide referrals to more appropriate community-based or private programs.
Staff members at Driftwood Recovery refer clients to other treatment options if they notice the following:
- Consistently escalating symptoms
- Medical instability
- A high risk for suicide or self-harm
- Nonresponsiveness to the current treatment
- Inability to maintain sobriety
- Motivation issues or low engagement
- Aggressive, violent, or disruptive behaviors
Care teams must collaborate to ensure consistent client care. Referring clients to another program or service should involve discussions between every care team member to ensure all factors are considered. Communication between healthcare workers, individuals in recovery, and client families ensures the care team has all the information they need to provide an appropriate referral.
Why Driftwood Recovery Refers Some Clients to a Higher Level of Care
Every client should have access to relevant and appropriate services. Driftwood Recovery may not have the best resources for everyone who struggles with substance abuse or mental health issues. The dedicated care team at Driftwood Recovery only refers clients to other programs that provide high-quality care and comprehensive services. Potential clients are always welcome to return to Driftwood Recovery after they learn to manage their symptoms. Staff members refer clients to higher levels of care only when other services result in better treatment outcomes.
Individuals in treatment for substance use disorder may benefit from being referred to higher levels of care until they feel comfortable returning to Driftwood Recovery as part of a continuum of care. Often, clients who need to be referred to more comprehensive programs transition back to treatment at the original facility once they establish a support system and practical coping tools. However, some individuals may require additional care for a prolonged period. For example, people struggling with active suicidal ideation or eating disorders may need to spend longer in residential treatment programs. Experts and support staff provide essential resources and referrals to higher levels of care when appropriate. To learn more about Driftwood Recovery, call us today at (512) 759-8330.