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ASSESSMENT AND ACCOMMODATION T he only way to successfully address mental health needs is to find the current status of your program. To get a true picture of your population you must find ways for your residents to be open about their needs. You can do this with anonymous surveys focus groups or your staff doing questionnaires. Anonymity is important due to the continued stigma that mental illness and substance abuse disorders impose. Accommodating your residents who have cognitive impairment or learning disorders is also critical. Any written material should be simple and to the point without difficult choices or lists. Staff members might need to help with reading and recording answers to questions such as Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental illness or How many times have you been to the hospital in the last year Through this process you might also find areas of your program that hinder your residents growth. Asking about chapel Bible studies and classes is a way to make sure that volunteers ministers or teachers are accommodating to the vulnerable nature of some residents. Be aware that some lessons or sermons could trigger a physical or psychiatric response to past traumatic events. Individuals with a history of verbal or sexual abuse in the family church or from a person in authority can have negative responses in situations where they feel unsafe. Checking in with your staff and residents is key so these situations are avoided. The information obtained is also important so you can track outcomes before and after treatment which could be valuable for grant-writing purposes in the future. ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH IN RESCUE CARE I n practical terms here is what supportive mental health care could look like in a rescue-mission setting. Community Assessment Every program at AGRM member missions would be dynamic based off surrounding community resources. Larger cities would have access to mental health agencies clinics and other nonprofit organizations. Also online tools such as the Community Health Needs Assessment can identify social and health needs often with resources available. Program administrators would benefit by listing and possibly mapping out local agencies by category of service. Once com- plete this can be described as a gap needs assessment to correlate the needs of your residents compared to the availability of resources. This is your baseline to springboard goals and objectives for your program staff and residents. This baseline will direct the goals moving forward depending on your staff structure. For example if you have case managers who work one-on-one with residents developing treatment or care plans with mental health substance abuse and physical health goals are the first steps in proving success. As the resi- dents become stable mentally and physically they will succeed in their spiritual vocational and occupational goals. Its almost impossible to focus on personal goals if someones health and mind are not stable. Remember people in your programs cannot truly apply themselves to grow spiritu- ally educationally or occupationally without being mentally and medically stable. 32 WWW.AGRM.ORG MARCHAPRIL 2016 Remember people in your programs cannot truly apply themselves to grow spiritually educationally or occupationally without being mentally and medically stable.