Therapeutic Services
Mental Health and Substance Abuse (IOP/OP)
The market for mental health services has been growing steadily in recent years. According to a National Institute of Mental Health report, one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental illness each year. This translates to approximately 51.5 million people in the United States alone. Furthermore, the stigma around mental health is slowly eroding, leading to increased awareness and demand for mental health services.
Within the law enforcement industry, the need for mental health services has been highlighted by recent events, including the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests that followed. These events brought to light the high levels of stress, anxiety, and trauma that law enforcement officers face daily, leading to a higher demand for mental health services within this industry.
Within the law enforcement industry, the need for mental health services has been highlighted by recent events, including the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests that followed. These events brought to light the high levels of stress, anxiety, and trauma that law enforcement officers face daily, leading to a higher demand for mental health services within this industry.
What happens when mental health goes untreated?
It develops into a mental health problem, which can transition into a mental illness. A mental illness develops once a mental health problem persistently impairs a person’s ability to function . Therefore, Law Enforcement Officers are not exempt from developing a mental illness because of their occupational culture and their regular exposure to stressors and trauma. This means, Law Enforcement Officers are included in the population of the 51.5 million people within the United States who experience a mental illness, and like most Americans they too will engage in unhealthy behaviors. These behaviors include but are not limit to the overly consumption of alcohol, and the abuse and dependence on prescription medication, to provide a small relief from the stressors related to work.
Continued substance misuse can grow into a dependency, better known as “substance use disorder.” One of the most common characteristics of this disorder is “denial.” Other characteristics are isolation, depression, agitation, and often being unpredictable. Many problems will start to arise at work (misconduct and police brutality), in the home, or with family members (domestic violence issues and divorce), while others may develop financial and legal problems. Despite all of these negative behaviors that are being displayed, many will fail to believe that their problems are related to their substance abuse which extends from their untreated mental health
Continued substance misuse can grow into a dependency, better known as “substance use disorder.” One of the most common characteristics of this disorder is “denial.” Other characteristics are isolation, depression, agitation, and often being unpredictable. Many problems will start to arise at work (misconduct and police brutality), in the home, or with family members (domestic violence issues and divorce), while others may develop financial and legal problems. Despite all of these negative behaviors that are being displayed, many will fail to believe that their problems are related to their substance abuse which extends from their untreated mental health
Theory: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an evidence based practice which extends from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a method for which therapist believe that bad behavior can be changed if you first identify the negative thinking and replace it with more positive behavioral changes.
In DBT, individuals learn skills that enable them to experience their emotions without rendering negative reactions. Secondly, they're taught to replace problematic behaviors, such as self-injury or explosive behavior, with skillful ones. DBT provides therapeutic skills in four key areas:
In DBT, individuals learn skills that enable them to experience their emotions without rendering negative reactions. Secondly, they're taught to replace problematic behaviors, such as self-injury or explosive behavior, with skillful ones. DBT provides therapeutic skills in four key areas:
Mindfulness: the practice of being fully aware and present in the moment.
Distress Tolerance: the ability to tolerate pain and manage difficult situations.
Interpersonal Effectiveness: the capability to ask for what you want and say no while maintaining self-respect and relationships with others.
Emotion Regulation: the competence to manage and express your emotions appropriately.
Distress Tolerance: the ability to tolerate pain and manage difficult situations.
Interpersonal Effectiveness: the capability to ask for what you want and say no while maintaining self-respect and relationships with others.
Emotion Regulation: the competence to manage and express your emotions appropriately.
These skills help people focus on decreasing suffering, improving relationships, and creating a life worth living. Each individual is in charge of their own specific goals during treatment; they work with their treatment team to determine how to utilize the skills they learnt in DBT to accomplish these goals.