I work in the mental health field, and coinciding with all the talk in the news recently of government budget cuts, especially in the field of mental health care, I feel compelled to share some information and enlighten the public on what my specific job title entails. I have quite a few people on my friends list that either work in the mental health field, or have a family member that receives services from a mental health care agency. Ive been reading their posts, comments, concerns, and frustrations and I want to let them know that I empathize with them and feel their frustration. I work as a state certified AFL (alternative family living) Provider. I have 1 resident that lives with me. I work for a mental health agency on a yearly contractual basis, and my home is his residence. People that are AFL providers have not adopted the residents they care for. Generally, the resident has a state appointed legal guardian. AFL Providers have specific state and agency guidelines that they have to meet and adhere to in order to continue providing services. Providers are required to have annual inspection of their home to ensure the residents specific needs, rights, and safety requirements are being met. For example, AFL providers must have fire extinguishers in their home and they have to be inspected annually and the date of inspection on the tag has to be current, water temp in the home has to be checked monthly and documented, fire drills, tornado drills, disaster drills must be conducted monthly and documented and duplicate copies turned in to agency provider. AFL providers are responsible for ordering residents meds, giving meds, documenting it on MAR, and turning in a copy of MAR monthly to the providing agency. We are required to provide 3 meals and 2 snacks daily. Your daily menu has to be documented and a copy turned in to providing agency on a monthly basis. AFL providers are required to transport residents to all their dr. visits, assist resident with making appointments, make copies of results of dr. visits and physician orders, and provide the agency and guardian with a copy. AFL Providers have monthly visits from the residents guardian, social worker, and nurse. Residents also have formal training programs that the AFL provider must assist them with. Personally, I have 14 such programs. Without being specific, so as not to violate privacy, some programs must be run daily, some are run 3 times weekly. Progress has to be documented and copies turned in to agency provider on a weekly basis. There is so much more that an AFL Provider does, that the public does not see and is not aware of. When you see a person with mental retardation, mental illness, and/or developmental disability, and their worker in a public setting or in the community, do not assume that the staff member is being cruel, negligent, or mean when they encourage their resident to perform tasks for themselves. Most likely its part of their formal training program and the staff is doing their job.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 15:50:43 +0000
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