Ensuring a soft landing

• One last thing about psych...
• Every Tuesday morning on the inpatient psych ward I was on, they have multidisciplinary rounds in which each patient is discussed. In the room there are social workers, case managers, housing staff, nurses, psychologists, activity group leaders, pharmacists, physicians and a variety of students. Each patient is discussed including how they're doing, are they participating in activity groups like yoga, etc (and how successfully), what's the plan for their housing once they leave, and when will they be leaving. This week, we discussed things like: a patient who will likely unfortunately choose to return to live with a boyfriend who's a bad influence on her life (physical and mental health) and what we can do to try to prevent that, housing options for someone who was violent with their mother while he was sick (off his schizophrenia meds) and now has a restraining order against him, the negative side effects affecting a patient already using a last-ditch effort medication and therefore, what the next steps are. As we sat there, a group of 30+ people or so discussing these patients, I must say I was filled with a warm glow. It felt like such a community of support that's wrapping around these people to hold them, whether they're aware of it or not. It reminded me of what an old tribal council meeting must have been like, where issues would be discussed and people's lives sorted out by the elders in a community with everyone cared for as if they were part of an extended family. Sure there were some cynical remarks made and frustrations voiced, often in the context of a sarcastic joke regarding a patient. And during my time on the ward, I didn't always agree with "how" patients were treated or spoken to (as small children sometimes). But maybe it took me the full 6 weeks of my rotation to appreciate that web of support doing its very best to cradle those vulnerable patients from falling through the cracks. I tip my hat to them.