Psychiatric Medication Issues for Social Workers, Counselors, and Psychologists

Book excerpt: Learn more about psychiatric medications to better understand your clientele! Psychiatric Medication Issues for Social Workers, Counselors, and Psychologists explores a range of issues and dilemmas in psychopharmocology practice that emerge especially for social workers, counselors, and psychologists because of their unique roles and perspectives. This book contains qualitative and quantitative research examining the subjective experience of clients who use psychiatric medication. You’ll find unprecedented discussion of clinical and ethical situations that arise when social workers and allied health caregivers collaborate with clients and providers around psychiatric medicine. This book contains creative ideas on how social workers and other allied health providers can be more responsive to both adults and children who take medication. Psychiatric Medication Issues for Social Workers, Counselors, and Psychologists focuses on the meaning of medication for the clients who use them and their positive and negative experiences with them over time. This book serves as an innovative forum and effective springboard for productive discussion among practitioners, scholars and researchers about psychiatric medication’s relevance toand interface withsocial work practice. This book is designed to help practitioners: understand how clients manage their psychotropic medications and interpret their effects maximize the chances for successful treatment outcome by understanding the meaning, transference, and countertransference stimulated by the triangle created by the client, social worker, and psychopharmacological provider map the sociocultural context of youth medication management and help youthful clients adopt coping mechanisms for everyday medication treatment confront a variety of ethical dilemmas, such as ambiguities around the knowledge base of practice, appropriate roles of providers, and basic personal and professional values secure informed consent when discussing proposed treatments (including medications) and explain alternative treatments without breaking informed consent laws promote effective and comprehensive helping relationships by being cognizant of alternative practices, herbal preparations, and essential oil and flower essence products that clients could be using on their own This book contains extensive references, suggestions for client-consultation questions, research findings, and interviews with social workers to complement the text. Unique in its focus on the client’s point of view, Psychiatric Medication Issues for Social Workers, Counselors, and Psychologists will help you overcome any difficulties of working with clients in drug therapy.